


Transcendent

by baeconandeggs, foreverme233



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 06:56:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18733930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverme233/pseuds/foreverme233
Summary: Baekhyun never dreamed he’d be the one to bestow life upon their lifeless world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
>   
> 
>  **Author's Note:** A lot of time, work, and dedication went into creating Transcendent. I enjoyed every moment of writing it and I hope you enjoy every moment of reading it. Thank you to the person who created this prompt and thank you to the mods for always responding to my questions and being patient with a BAE newbie:) This fic is a roller coaster of sorts but I hope you all make it to the end. See you on the other side;)

It all happened so fast. 

 

Yet every detail was permanently etched into his memory, potent reminders of what had transpired and what they had endured.  

 

He remembered seeing red, everything was bathed in red.

 

His judgement was clouded- impaired by the copious amounts of red- after witnessing that… _ thing _ set its sights on Chanyeol, his  _ husband _ . Motivated by instinct and instinct alone, Baekhyun suddenly found himself between Chanyeol and the monster. The attacker focused its sinister yellow eyes on Baekhyun, growling menacingly. 

 

And Baekhyun was mad. No, he was  _ furious _ .

 

“You ruined my wedding night, you bastard.”

 

The monster could do nothing more than growl in response and bare its blood stained teeth. The pungent smell of death permeated the air and it took all Baekhyun had not to gag and retch violently. Before he could grab Chanyeol’s hand and leave the madness behind them, before he could succumb to the nausea threatening to overtake him, before the full weight of what was happening could crash upon him like a ton of bricks, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

 

He dodged the first attack of the flesh eating monster, gaining hold of the rotting arm that tried to grab him. A palm heel to the face was enough to take it by surprise, enough to warrant an escape route. He felt a familiar hand tug on his own and he ran. Adrenaline rushing, hearts racing, heads pounding, they ran together.

 

Manipulated by a whirlwind of emotions, Baekhyun chanced a look back. He saw the white outdoor chairs that had once been meticulously arranged scattered haphazardly across the lawn. The decorated gazebo where they had exchanged vows was covered in the blood of their enemies intermixed with the blood of their loved ones. The shouts of joy and sincere congratulations were long lost in the terrified screams and pleas of the victims.

 

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when his rapid breathing turned into wretched sobs. He could only guess it happened sometime after he realized he and Chanyeol still wore their tuxedos; painful reminders of how the night began carried fearful apprehension of how the night would end.

 

**

**(Months Later)**

 

Baekhyun awoke with only a small gasp but it was enough, enough to have the sitting figure appear by his side a millisecond later.

 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Is the bab-“

 

Baekhyun reached up to silence his worried husband with a kiss. No matter how much he wanted, he couldn’t reassure Chanyeol that everything would be okay, that  _ they _ would be okay. Their future was as uncertain as it had always been.

 

Nevertheless, the older of the two could assure the younger, if only in that moment, that everything was calm and peaceful.

 

“I’m fine. The baby’s fine. I just had a bad dream.”

 

Chanyeol crouched down to his husband and placed a hand on the large swell of his belly. His silver wedding band caught the light from the sliver of sunrise through the dust caked windows. He frowned so intensely Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

 

“Stop frowning. You’ll get wrinkles.” Baekhyun pressed a gentle kiss between Chanyeol’s furrowed brows. The younger 24 year old let out a miniscule sigh but allowed a small smile to grace his handsome features. Despite the situation they were in, being in the other’s presence was enough to warrant a bit of playful banter.

 

“Come on. We need to leave soon.” Chanyeol stood up and offered a helping hand to Baekhyun. The older of the two graciously accepted the help, sighing in relief at the ultimate chance to stretch his cramping muscles and rub his sore lower back. Sleeping on a cot in the damp musty attic of a stranger’s home had not been ideal. But the flesh eating monsters were unable to climb and the collapsible stairs gave them an advantage in what would otherwise remain an unfortunate situation in the midst of a losing battle.

 

A losing battle, an outbreak, an epidemic, or an  _ apocalypse _ , if you will.

 

The use of the word ‘zombie’ became commonplace a few months ago. The exact origins of the virus and all its implications remained a mystery. All that was known (or assumed to be true) was that the big cities were the most dangerous but the places that offered the most hope.

 

Hope that there was a group of refugees who had somehow managed to dodge the imminent dangers that threatened the world’s future. Hope that there was a doctor in the city who could safely deliver their baby when the time inevitably descended upon them. Hope that if they made it to the city, to  _ Seoul _ , that they would  be able to survive the nightmare they consistently awakened to.

 

Before Baekhyun could respond, Chanyeol made his way over to the collapsible ladder and crouched. A defensive posture was adopted almost immediately. He leaned forward ever so slightly to get a better read on the situation beneath them. He listened intently, ears trained to pick up on the sounds of growling and faint thumps of the surprisingly stealthy zombies.

 

Baekhyun held his breath out of fearful anticipation. If the monsters had picked up on their scent and forced their way into the house, Chanyeol would have to risk his life to ensure his husband and unborn child made it out alive. With only a small number of months left until he brought a life into a world where so many were unjustly taken, Baekhyun could only sit back and watch the tragedies unfold.

 

A pregnant pause later found Chanyeol on his feet. He patted the gun on his belt with one hand and the fixed blade knife with the other. Try as he might, Baekhyun could never forget the detailed memories depicting a police officer’s corpse and how they’d managed to steal the weapons from it. A man in his late 50s unlucky enough to be killed by the zombies but lucky by default not to become a part of the undead.

 

“I can hear one.”

 

Baekhyun cocked his head to the side. “Only one?” They usually traveled in pairs or packs, to discover one by itself was rare.

 

Chanyeol responded with a firm, “Stay here.”

 

“If there’s only one maybe I can-“

 

“Baekhyun, if something happened to you I would never forgive myself. Stay here until I tell you it’s safe.”

 

Chanyeol’s jaw was set firm and Baekhyun could only nod in response. On their wedding night- the night the zombies invaded their small Korean town, the same night Baekhyun found out he was pregnant- Chanyeol made a promise. Although not as brave, hopeful, or skilled in martial arts ( _ Hapkido _ ) as Baekhyun- despite his flaws and shortcomings- Chanyeol made an unbreakable vow to keep Baekhyun and their unborn child safe.

 

Baekhyun pouted a little before smiling an encouraging smile.

 

“Alright, Mr. Hero. I’ll let you save me. Just know that once I have this kid I’ll be the one saving  _ your _ ass again.”

 

Chanyeol smiled in return before unlatching the ladder and descending into the unknown. “I’ll look forward to it.”

 

**

 

_ Empty _ .  _ Desolate _ .  _ Deserted _ ... 

 

...the only words befitting the once vibrant town they grew up in. Nestled in the foothills of low-lying scenic mountains, possessing rock formations unique and extravagant enough to have anyone stop and revel in its beauty, their town remained 270 kilometers from Seoul, roughly 168 miles.

 

The air was crisp and cool, tickling the inside of his nose and throat whenever he took a deep breath. Pieces of rock crunched underneath his feet, emulating sounds of firecrackers exploding in the too silent air.

 

“It seems like we’re the only ones left. Here at least.” Baekhyun spoke to the man who was always a step or two ahead. Chanyeol’s longer legs were able to cover more ground in a shorter span of time. The only thing weighing him down was a backpack with rapidly depleting supplies.

 

Chanyeol let out a huff before responding, it could only be categorized as impatience. “That’s why we need to get to Seoul as soon as possible.”

 

“I know.” Baekhyun murmured quietly. Initially, he’d been the one insistent on staying in their home province. Hoping against hope that emergency response teams would come and rescue them before the entire province was haunted by dead bodies and crawling with flesh eating creatures. 

 

Whilst waiting for the rescuers who would never come, they’d somehow managed to survive by raiding empty houses for supplies and taking weapons off whatever stagnant bodies they stumbled upon.

 

As they continued on their forward journey, Baekhyun felt a gentle kick from their child. He paused for a moment, standing stock still in the middle of the destruction of his own childhood memories and the source of neverending nightmares. 

 

Supplies were running low, time was closing in on them, and he knew they wouldn’t be able to survive in one area for much longer.

 

Invisible targets were strategically placed on their backs. Inviting the enemies in and threatening their weakening defenses. With Baekhyun facing disadvantages during stealth and combat, their chances of survival were cut in half. It was nothing short of a miracle they’d been able to survive for these long months, nothing short of a miracle they actually had something positive to look forward to.

 

The birth of their baby.

 

The miracle baby they hadn’t planned, hadn’t been trying for. The baby that just happened. Likened to the unexpected events of the past few months without explanation, everything simply  _ happened _ .

 

After noticing his husband had paused, Chanyeol grabbed his hand and hurried him along as fast as he could. The younger’s eyes combed their surroundings nervously, wondering how long it would be before someone, or rather some _ thing _ , disturbed their peace.

 

“We need to find as many supplies as we can and we need to find a car, Baek.”

 

“I know. But can’t we rest for just a second?”

 

They’d been walking almost all morning, breaking into random houses and stealing whatever supplies they could find. Their proactiveness hadn’t amounted to much with too many barriers standing in their way. Baekhyun could only steal as much as he could hold whilst Chanyeol spent his time and energy fighting off the monstrous inhabitants of the houses.

 

The pregnant man was exhausted, his knees and hands bruised from the countless amount of times he’d had to drop to the floor to avoid an attack or hide in the cramped closets of houses and cramped corners of rooms. Anything he could do to protect their baby, anything he  _ had _ to do to protect their baby.

 

“Baek-“

 

Baekhyun cut him off with a sharp, “Chanyeol.”

 

Fully aware that the request was non negotiable, Chanyeol could do nothing more than agree. He led his older husband over to a secluded area- protected by a low overhang of trees- with a tree stump comfortable enough to seat one. 

 

Chanyeol stood and leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, never once averting his eyes from the potential dangers that lurked around the dark corners. Baekhyun, grateful for a chance to rest his feet, reveled in the quietness and stillness of the early afternoon. With not even a single bird chirp to break the silence, he was the one to soften Chanyeol’s stance and narrowed eyes.

 

“It’d be nice to change roles, you know?”

 

“Huh?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow and caught Baekhyun’s playful smile and crinkled eyes.

 

“You could carry this,” He pointed to his belly, “And I could carry that,” He pointed to the gun at Chanyeol’s belt.

 

Baekhyun was the single flower in a dry barren land, the only light which could penetrate the inky blackness of despair. He was the definition of hope, of optimism, the only one who could bring humor into a humorless situation. Those were just a few of the reasons Chanyeol loved him dearly.

 

The sun collapsed behind the clouds at the same time their lips connected, almost as if to offer them privacy. Although there were many things they were in short supply of, privacy was strictly in abundance. As far as they knew, all of the people in their province had been killed or forced into the army of the undead. Each town they ventured into left nothing behind but glimpses of what life had been like before the virus outbreak.

 

The sun stayed hidden behind the clouds at the same time Baekhyun brought up his hands to caress Chanyeol’s face. They didn’t have anything but each other. Reasonably, they wanted to hold on and never have to let go.

  
  


An unanticipated shift in the air caused Chanyeol to tense. Baekhyun could immediately feel his husband start to pull away from the kiss and prepare to straighten back into a firm stance. A sudden sharp gust of wind sliced through the protective layers of clothes he wore, bringing about the familiar and nauseating stench of death.

 

Chanyeol turned sharply, facing whatever threat Baekhyun suddenly couldn’t see. Long limbs and broad shoulders obscured his view, a large hand reached behind to reassuringly squeeze his own.

 

“There’s only two. Stay back and stay alert. This won’t take long.”

 

A few purposeful forward strides found Chanyeol face to face with the monsters. One male and one female who bore very little resemblance to the humans they once were. Baring ominous similarities to something straight out of  _ The Walking Dead _ , the zombies lunged toward their enemy at the same time Chanyeol lunged toward  _ his _ enemies. The zombies were fast but Chanyeol was faster.

 

With swiftness and precision, he removed the fixed blade knife from its sheath. He dodged the first attack and managed to stab the knife into the abdomen of the male. The creature groaned and stumbled a step backward. Before Chanyeol could react, a rotting gray hand dug its nails into his shoulder and he winced.

 

Edged on by the temporary immobilization of its prey, the female zombie opened its mouth and targeted the exposed flesh of Chanyeol’s neck. Chanyeol yanked his shoulder from the zombie’s grip, grunting in exertion. The zombie missed its mark by mere centimeters, hissing in frustration. He’d much rather burn in hell than become one of  _ them _ . 

  
  
  


He landed a sharp elbow in the gut of the female, bringing it to its knees. Previously sandwiched in between the two monsters, he quickly re positioned himself so  _ he  _ was behind the female zombie. He never gave it the chance to stumble to its feet and lash out at him before burying his knife in the base of its neck.  

 

When it crumpled beneath him and no longer put up a fight, he knew he’d hit his mark. He removed his knife as fast as it’d been implanted, landing an upwards thrust through the lower jaw and mouth of the remaining creature charging towards him. The creature fell back with a final loud thud and Chanyeol breathed a small sigh of relief. 

 

He’d done this for a long time now, longer than he cared to admit. But that didn’t mean he expected to make it out alive every time, no matter how few he was up against. Thanks to whatever God existed or whatever luck he seemingly had a sizeable supply of, he always made it out alive. The  _ three  _ of them always did. 

 

“Ugh, these things get more disgusting every time I see them.” Baekhyun groaned as he squatted down to remove the knife lodged firmly in the creature’s mouth and jaw. 

 

Chanyeol muffled a chuckle at the sudden appearance of his spouse. Once the fight was over, he couldn’t expect his husband to stay back for long. Under any other circumstance, Baekhyun would be right by his husband’s side throughout the combat, the foraging, the-

 

“Here.” Baekhyun handed the knife back to its current owner.

 

Chanyeol resheathed the knife and faced his pregnant and suddenly thoughtful husband. The younger of the two spoke first.

 

“What’s on your mind?”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you how attractive I find you protecting me and this little one.” He caressed his large belly for emphasis. “It may be inappropriate for me to want you to fuck me as roughly as you handle the zombies, but-”

 

“Baekhyun, my job is to  _ protect _ you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Baekhyun pouted. It was so fucking cute Chanyeol almost melted at the sight. 

 

“You won’t hurt me.” 

 

Chanyeol made a move to speak but Baekhyun cut him off. 

 

“ _ Or _ the baby. You won’t hurt either of us.”

 

The romance was there and the love was as strong as the day it manifested. But the passion, the passion was buried beneath Chanyeol’s stubborn persistence and sometimes unfair insistence. 

 

Chanyeol didn’t respond so Baekhyun continued with his “rant.”

 

“We don’t even know if we’ll make it out of this alive. There’s no time for-”

 

Finally, Chanyeol spoke. Just for the purpose of cutting Baekhyun off and changing the subject. 

 

“It’s about lunchtime. We need to do an inventory of our food.”

 

Baekhyun huffed. He was the first to admit that getting horny while watching his husband fight off flesh eating monsters was a  _ little  _ inconvenient. But if their sex life wasn’t as dead as all the towns and corpses they’d stumbled upon, he wouldn’t have had to worry about it.

 

Knowing they were no closer to finding a solution to their, _ intimacy _ issues, Baekhyun shrugged off his small backpack and focused on more pressing matters. He opened the bag and counted up whatever food he had left. Together, they possessed a few bottles of water, a few cans of food, and a couple packets of dried fruits and nuts. 

 

Up until that point they’d been raiding whatever houses they could, but the method was time consuming and unreliable. The act of breaking in was beyond tedious and the majority of the food they found were perishables, proving unsafe to eat. If they had any chance of making it to Seoul alive, they needed more supplies and a new plan.

 

Chanyeol thrust a bottle of water into Baekhyun’s unsuspecting hands. “Drink all of it.”

 

He obeyed without question, chugging down the full bottle of water and eating the packet of nuts and fruit he was given. Chanyeol only drank half of his water and only ate one small packet of nuts. Not enough to satisfy their hunger but enough to keep them alive. 

 

Only after chewing the last morsel of his lunch did Baekhyun speak again. As of that moment, the fight was over and the afternoon was coming to an end. They both wondered the exact same thing.

 

“What do we do now?”

 

Neither wanted to venture from the heart of the town, where buildings were farther and fewer between. Where shelter wasn’t as readily available. But they had no other choice.

 

“We keep walking,” was Chanyeol’s only answer.

 

**

 

The onset of dusk found them on the outskirts of the coastal town they’d just left. Up ahead, as far as the eye could see, were endless stretches of trees and deserted nondescript roads. The only indicators that they were making any progress- that the similar roads and trees were not, in fact, the  _ same _ roads and trees- were the smattering of bus stops and abandoned cars. Abandoned cars with absent keys and bus stops with missing bus schedules served no other purpose than to convey despondency.

 

Chanyeol dutifully walked ahead as he always did, his long strides outdistancing Baekhyun’s shorter ones. Once the presence of the darkening night sky could no longer be avoided, hesitant steps and the joining of nervous hands manifested.

 

Baekhyun gave Chanyeol’s hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to relieve some of the nervous tension. Being out at night presented many dangers they’d been- up until that point- fortunate enough to avoid. Without the guiding light of the sun or the once commonplace glow of streetlights, their visual acuity was severely impaired. Usage of sound and smell were the only ways to detect threats hidden in plain sight.

 

Since leaving the town behind, they hadn’t yet encountered any zombies. Apprehension and suspicion grew steadily as the seconds passed. 

 

“Boy or girl?” Baekhyun spoke softly, so softly that Chanyeol wouldn’t have heard him if it wasn’t the only sound to be heard. 

 

“What do you mean?” He responded with a question of his own. Equally soft yet well received and understood.

 

“Do you think we’re having a boy or girl?”

 

“I don’t know.” He responded honestly. He hadn’t taken the time to ponder the trivial things that only mattered in a different world under different circumstances. “What do you think?”

 

“I don’t know either. But if we have a boy, I hope he’s as tall and handsome as you.”

 

“What about a girl?”   
  


“I hope she’s as cute and badass as me. I’ll teach her everything I know about Hapkido so she’ll be able to…” He trailed off, becoming silent again.

 

Chanyeol was silent for a while too. Imagining their child growing up in a world where they would need to learn self defense and engage in combat to  _ survive  _ was disheartening. 

 

How much longer would it be before they could wake up from their shared nightmare? Supplies remained dangerously scarce and they currently had no safe place to sleep and build shelter for the night. How long could they walk before collapsing from dehydration or exhaustion? How much longer could they stand venturing into the unknown? 

 

There was no way of knowing how much time had passed- the black sky remained starless as the moon presented itself as a waning crescent- before Baekhyun spoke again.

 

“I don’t know how much longer I can walk.” 

 

Exhaustion, hunger, and the absence of shelter left them no choice but to pause in the middle of the road. Chanyeol helped Baekhyun lower himself into a sitting position before adopting one of his own. 

 

“I’m so tired.” Baekhyun reluctantly admitted. He was once taught that it was forbidden to show weakness in front of the enemy. But there he was, sitting in the middle of the road with his head buried in his spouse’s chest. If they were spotted and targeted, he wasn’t sure he could survive the attack or pursuit. He was way too tired to run and much too weak to fight. Chanyeol found himself equally disadvantaged, too weak to stand. Would it ever be possible for them to make it to Seoul or would their fate be sealed in the middle of a deserted road?

 

“Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.” Chanyeol stated. When was the last time he’d gotten any sleep himself? If time could no longer be measured, how was he sure it even existed? How was he sure this entire ordeal was even real? Did Seoul still exist, were there any other humans besides them who existed?

 

After Chanyeol was sure Baekhyun had fallen asleep, he kissed his lover’s forehead. If this was how they were meant to die, embraced in each other’s arms, then he had no complaints. If he could die protecting the ones he loved, he would have no regrets.

 

He watched Baekhyun sleep for as long as he could, wanting to memorize every detail of his spouse’s face. He started with his eyebrows and worked his way down to the lips he had kissed a thousand times and wanted to kiss a thousand more. He instinctively swiped a gentle thumb over Baekhyun’s cheek when the tears started flowing freely. 

 

Baekhyun buried his head deeper into Chanyeol’s chest, wanting to shake away the painful emotions and memories his nightmares brought to light. He didn’t want to relive the same day again, the night that claimed the lives of their families and friends and caused their entire world to unravel before their eyes. He just didn’t know how to stop the nightmares. He could do nothing but endure and Chanyeol could do nothing but comfort.

 

“Do you want to keep walking?” Chanyeol asked once it became obvious Baekhyun could no longer stay asleep. 

  
  
  


The older nodded, finding a hidden strength he didn’t know he possessed as he stood up once more. Chanyeol followed suit, his determination to find the hope they so desperately searched for brought him to his feet. No sooner had they taken a few tentative steps forward than the smell hit them all at once. The familiar smell of damp earth and decay and putrid rotting flesh. The smell was so powerful that they both took a step back, realizing a little too late that they were surrounded.

 

Ten flesh eating creatures had their sights set on the staggering couple. Their snarls and growls filled Chanyeol’s head to the point where he wanted nothing more than to cover his ears and curl into a ball until it all ceased to exist. The only thing that brought him back to reality was the terrified voice of the single man he loved the most.

 

“Chanyeol, we need to run!”

 

If Baekhyun, the  _ brave _ and  _ fearless _ Baekhyun was terribly afraid, it meant the situation was dire. Chanyeol removed his semi automatic pistol from its holster and aimed the bullets into the skulls of the closest monsters. Only after the first three crumpled to the ground were they able to run. 

 

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s hand with a growing sense of urgency. It was only a matter of time before the shots fired would attract other monsters, further diminishing their chances of survival.

 

There was no time to pause, no time to think or strategize. Adrenaline took hold of them both and they ran as fast as they could. Without realizing what he was doing, Baekhyun placed a comforting hand on his belly. His thoughts only centered upon ensuring the safety of their baby. Chanyeol’s thoughts only centered upon the safety of Baekhyun and their child. 

 

On the exhale of a ragged breath, Chanyeol shouted above the vicious sounds of the monsters closely trailing behind, “Baek, keep running ahead. I’ll distract them.”

 

“What?” Baekhyun panted in disbelief, his lungs already burning from the exertion. 

 

Every adventure story needed a hero to perform some sort of heroic sacrifice. Some selfless act of symbolism serving as the catalyst to the end. Painfully aware of the unconventionality of their dire situation, Baekhyun was opposed to letting their fate be defined by predetermined rules. He wasn’t going to let Chanyeol be the only hero of the story. And he wasn’t going to let any sacrifices be made in vain.

 

He was exhausted, he was weak, he was  _ pregnant _ . But he had just enough strength to harshly tug on Chanyeol’s hand and steer them in another, hopefully better, direction. The sudden detour caught Chanyeol by surprise, especially once he realized Baekhyun was leading them towards the guardrails on one side of the road. 

 

With only a thicket of trees and shrubs in their immediate sight, they could only guess what else awaited them on the other side of the rails. Whatever they would encounter, it couldn’t have been much worse than the army of enemies closing in on them. Outrunning the zombies was panning out to be an insurmountable task, requiring an immediate adjustment of tactics. 

 

There was no way of knowing how long it would be before his feet hit solid ground again. No way of knowing how far he would soon descend into the darkness. Undeterred by the unreliableness of the unknown, Chanyeol planted a firm hand on the guardrail and propelled his body up and over. His feet landed firmly beneath him a second later.

 

He spun around and helped his pregnant spouse maneuver around the one thing that separated them. He planted steady hands on his husband’s waist as Baekhyun jumped over the guardrail in a much slower and less precise manner than Chanyeol had. 

  
  


A millisecond after his feet safely landed on the ground, the creatures reached the guardrail. The army had already increased in size, replacing the three that were lost from the firing of the first bullets. Piercing yellow eyes cut through the darkness at the same time the aggressively searching hands missed their mark. 

 

The railing wouldn’t hold them back for long. They would soon figure out a way to crawl under the obstacle stretched out before them. Still, it was a small victory to find themselves more than a few steps ahead of the monsters.

 

The married couple darted beneath the canopy of trees, charging manically through the thicket and finding themselves plummeting deeper and deeper into what could only be described as a foreboding forest. The ground beneath them was as inky as the sky above them. Invisible tree roots reached up from the ground, clinging to their ankles and tripping their feet. Long tree branches caressed their limbs, leaving red scratches and torn clothes in their wake. 

 

The sudden thunderous pounding of at least 15 pairs of footsteps came charging behind like a herd of rampant bulls, ready to devour their weak prey. With every passing second, the footsteps appeared louder, indicating just how close they were to capturing their human targets. 

 

A cacophony of grunts, growls, and snarls filled Baekhyun’s ears. Death was all he could hear. Death was all he could smell. Darkness was all he could see. Chanyeol’s hand squeezing his own was all he could feel.

 

With no possible way out, with fatigue settling in, with adrenaline dwindling into nothingness, at least he could say they put up a good fight. Even if the fight was soon to come to an unavoidable end. 

  
  


Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s hand begin to slip away first. Palm against palm became grazing fingertips against fingertips. Not of his own volition, Chanyeol’s fingertips retracted swiftly, leaving Baekhyun grasping at nothing but air. Muffled screams could be heard for a split second after his disappearance. Then, silence. With no further sound to indicate his husband was still alive, Baekhyun fell to his knees where he stood.

 

_ It’s over now. Let them take me. I don’t care anymore. _

 

The sudden firm, almost too tight grip on his shoulder was expected. He was yanked to his feet and harshly pulled to one side. He was disoriented at first, his current semblance of direction shaky at best. He stumbled as he was pulled further into the surrounding shrubbery of the forest. With no more fight left in him to spare, he passively waited and listened as his untimely demise approached. 

 

As he continued to listen to the same pounding footsteps, he chanced upon an important detail he’d overlooked. The source of the sound continued to originate from  _ behind _ wherever he stood. The herd hadn’t reached him yet, hadn’t yet breached upon that area of the forest. But the mysterious hand on his shoulder remained firm with a vice-like grip.

 

He closed his eyes tightly and waited for the creature to sink its teeth into his soft flesh. He moaned in surprise when he felt a steady arm wrap around his waist, trapping his body against a warm chest. The hand that had tightly squeezed his shoulder slapped itself against his mouth, accompanied by an audible and annoyed, “Shh.” 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened in shock, impossibly large. His heart hammered against his ribcage at the same time his unborn baby shifted uncomfortably inside him. It’d been so long since he’d heard the voice of someone other than Chanyeol that he didn’t immediately acknowledge the humanness of the ‘creature.’

 

The herd of footsteps was now close enough for Baekhyun to feel the rumbling of the ground beneath his own feet. The smell of death intensified, bringing about more terror. If he were to be devoured and left for dead, he just wanted it to be done and over with. 

 

His heart was beating so fast and erratically he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. The sounds of advancing footsteps were muffled beneath his own terror. Only after his knees began to give out did he realize the muffled footsteps could no longer be heard. He fell to the ground at the same time he was released from the confines of his captor.

 

The smell of death remained potent in the air and he found himself gagging and retching where he kneeled. 

 

“Fucking hell.” The unidentified voice groaned.

 

No sooner had the words reached his ears than he felt something warm, lightweight and made of polyester drape over his shoulders. The putrid smell of rotting flesh suddenly enveloped him like a dark cloud, clogging his nose and choking him. He gagged once more, purely reflexive.

 

“I know it stinks. But you have to wear it.”

 

Baekhyun coughed in response, not so pleased with being told to wear something that smelled like death itself. Before he could produce a voiced response, something was being thrust into his hand. Something that  _ equally _ smelled like death.

 

“And put these on. Hurry up.” 

 

Could Baekhyun really trust the disembodied voice of a stranger? Back before the virus outbreak, it wasn’t uncommon for trust to be taken for granted. How bold of humans to always assume the people they first met would tell the truth? How idiotic would it be to assume this person had good intentions? 

 

Baekhyun took a good look at the object in his hands, a pair of thick framed wraparound black glasses. The lenses maintained an oddly familiar yellowish hue, seemingly glowing in the pitch blackness of the night. Pure curiosity found him slowly situating the strange glasses over his eyes. His vision was suddenly much sharper and reliable. The lenses of the glasses drastically improved the color clarity of his drab surroundings and improved the optical definition of the surrounding trees and shrubs. 

 

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to turn around and meet the guarded gaze of a fellow survivor. Somehow managing to push aside his hesitation, he finally turned around and looked up. The guy had dark colored (surprisingly _ tidy _ ) hair, that swept across his forehead. His strong angular face was countered by the seemingly playful upturn of the corners of his lips.

 

“You’re human.” Baekhyun blurted out, not quite ready to believe that the effects of his newly acquired night vision were more than tricks of the light. 

 

“Thankfully, yeah and I’d like to keep it that way. So if you’re done puking we really need to go.”

 

“Go where?”

 

“To a safer place.” 

 

A safer place sounded heavenly. A safer place to finally get some rest and hopefully some food. A safer place to regroup and figure out the next plan of action. As much as Baekhyun wanted to go to a safer place, he made no effort to move from his spot on the ground.

  
  


“I can’t leave without my husband.” He didn’t know where Chanyeol was or what had happened to him. His voice was suddenly thick with emotion.

 

The guy crouched down to him, giving his back an awkward pat. “I promise your husband’s fine. He’s probably waiting for us back at the camp as we speak.”

 

“What?” Baekhyun perked up but remained guarded after the unexpected revelation. “How do you know?”

 

“My friend saved him and took him there.”

 

The moment Chanyeol’s hand was ripped from his own, had he been yanked into the protective arms of a stranger like his spouse had? Baekhyun’s mind was full of questions he wanted to ask the stranger. There were too many pieces of the puzzle that were still missing. But his body was suddenly too weak to generate speech and his brain was too muddled to continue forming coherent thoughts.

 

The stranger began to move with an increasing sense of urgency, only just now realizing how exhausted and likely undernourished the pregnant man was. He dressed Baekhyun in the awful smelling jacket, ignoring the weakened protests in response.

 

“If we smell like them they’re less likely to track us.”

 

He helped Baekhyun to his feet, supporting the tired man’s weight as best he could. As they walked toward what Baekhyun could only pray was safety, he found himself slipping in and out of consciousness. 

 

“You can call me Chen, by the way.” The stranger,  _ Chen _ spoke.

 

Baekhyun smiled a little bit. It seemed silly now to think he and Chanyeol were the only survivors in their now apocalyptic world. To think that there  _ were _ others out there gave him hope. Hope and determination to keep living and fighting.

 

“I’m Baekhyun.” He spoke just before everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

“Is he safe?”

 

“For now.” He responded with a hint of reluctance.

 

“What the hell does that mean?” A hiss.

 

“It  _ means _ that we can only do so much for him. We can only keep him hidden for so long.” 

 

A broken and contrite sigh, “They can sense life?”

 

“And they can smell humans and who knows what else? The tent and the clothes should keep him hidden but…”

 

“But what?”

 

“There’s still a chance they can track him and find us.”

 

“Fuck.”

 

“When he wakes up, you need to tell him.”

 

A pensive pause before an unsure response, “I will.”

 

**

 

Baekhyun couldn’t pinpoint the source of the rich and savory aroma, partially buried beneath the contaminated odor of the rancid air. He wrinkled his nose at the same time the clinking of metal reached his sensitive ears. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking lazily at what could only be perceived as indirect sunlight. A trio of humanoid shadows danced along the edges of his peripheral vision, forcing him into the final stage of wakefulness. 

 

Alarm bells resounded in his head, rapid firing signals from his brain made every nerve ending stand on edge. He scooted back as far from the shadows as he could, keeping a protective arm around his belly.

 

A surprised grunt escaped his mouth when his back bumped against a polycotton wall. A sweeping gaze of his surroundings revealed a dome shaped ceiling and a smattering of mesh vents. He’d somehow found his way inside a tent and had no memory of the transit from the forest. With no time to dwell on the hows and the whys, he held his breath as two of the shadows stood still and one of them advanced towards the entrance of the tent.

 

There was nowhere to run and nothing more he could do aside from wait until another occupant breached his temporary resting place. The sound of a zipper being unzipped preceded the appearance of an all too familiar face and an all too soothing voice.

 

“It’s okay, Baek. It’s just me.”

 

“Chanyeol.” Every defensive instinct dissipated into nothing but relief. Relief and elation nearly brought him to tears. “I thought you…”

 

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” Chanyeol stated firmly, knowing fully well what Baekhyun had feared and why relief was more than evident on his soft features.

 

With the height of the tent’s ceiling restricting their movements to crawling and sitting, Chanyeol crawled past the newly opened entrance and sat next to his husband. Baekhyun scurried into the open arms of his spouse. He was quick to bury his head into the sturdy chest presented to him. And even quicker to pull back, wrinkling his nose once more.

 

“You smell-”

 

“Like them. I know.” Chanyeol replied. It was only then Baekhyun realized Chanyeol wore different clothes than before. Black combat boots much more suited for running, a fitted black shirt and jeans, and a black leather jacket. The trend of all black clothing and sturdy shoes had influenced Baekhyun’s attire as well. He looked down to find that his old clothes were long gone and replaced by reliable and untorn materials.

 

Interpreting the confused look on his husband’s face as an unspoken question, Chanyeol responded,“They took them off a few zombies they killed. Apparently if we smell like them we have a better chance of blending in.”

 

Baekhyun remembered being told something similar before. But it hadn’t been Chanyeol who’d provided him with the important information.

 

“Who’s they?”

 

He’d almost forgotten about the other two shadows that remained unidentified. That is, until a vaguely familiar head popped through the tent’s entrance. The hint of a smirk still remained, turning the corners of his mouth upward.

 

“Morning, sunshine.”

 

“Chen.”

 

Chen crawled into the tent and situated himself against one of the polycotton walls, leading Baekhyun to wonder how many people the tent would comfortably house.

  
  


“I’m flattered you remember my name. I’m assuming you don’t remember anything else.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head, leaning back into Chanyeol’s chest and ignoring the revolting smell that came with it. He fixed his gaze on Chen who also dressed similarly to them.

 

“After we hid from the zombies I tried to bring you back here. But you fainted. You were too heavy for me to carry.” A quick benevolent gaze down to his pregnant stomach warranted a hurried, “No offense. I radioed Xiumin for help. He brought Chanyeol with him and your husband carried you all the way here.  _ Despite _ being so weak himself. He put you in the tent, cleaned you up, and changed your clothes to hide your smell. You’ve been out of it for 24 hours. We’ve gotten you to drink enough fluids but you haven’t eaten yet.”

 

Baekhyun took a moment to process all of the given information, unsure of how he felt after realizing he was now a liability to  _ three _ people as opposed to just one person. Chen had saved Baekhyun, Xiumin had most likely saved Chanyeol, and all of them had managed to save Baekhyun when he needed saving  _ again _ .  

 

There were many things Baekhyun wanted to say but all he managed to say was, “Why did you save us?”

 

Chen’s face adopted a grim expression to match his melancholy reply, “Because we thought we were the only ones left.”  

 

Before Baekhyun could respond, a small man he had never seen before crouched through the entrance of the tent. He held a bowl of something bearing a delicious scent, perfectly matching the rich and savory aroma Baekhyun had previously woken up to. The man dressed in all black could only be Xiumin. The one who had saved his husband’s life. 

  
  


Once he was close enough to the couple, he handed the bowl over to Baekhyun with prompt and concise orders. “Eat this slowly. Give yourself a chance to digest it before you ask for more.”

 

“Thank you.” He responded to the deceptively youthful looking man. He held Xiumin's steady gaze for a moment with an unwavering and clear one of his own. Baekhyun’s brown eyes held a sea of emotion, crinkling at the corners as if he wanted to say more. The magnitude of his gratitude extended far beyond a simple, 'thank you.’ 

 

Xiumin gave a short nod, acknowledging his actions for what they were. 

 

Unbeknownst to Baekhyun, Chanyeol had previously extended equal gratitude to the person who had saved the lives of the two most important people in  _ his _ life. Words had then been exchanged between the trio that Baekhyun would never hear. Information had been exchanged between the trio that Baekhyun  _ deserved _ to hear. 

 

Suddenly too distracted by the angry growling of his stomach, Baekhyun failed to notice the subtle gestures between the trio. Unspoken words lingered in the air, heard by none yet understood by few.  

 

Xiumin cleared his throat to break the temporary silence. 

 

“We’ll leave you two alone. Chen and I will keep watch around the area.”

 

Chanyeol responded for the both of them, sending an affirmative nod in the direction of the retreating men. He kept his arms around his husband, planting a kiss on his forehead once they were alone.

  
  
  


Feeling at ease for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Baekhyun took his time eating his well prepared and long overdue meal. Heeding the advice he was given, he ate slowly, savoring each and every bite. Beans for protein, vegetables for nutrients, and rice for energy and carbs. 

 

Softly and gently, so as not to disturb his spouse, Chanyeol reached a hand out to rest on Baekhyun’s pregnant belly. Their unborn baby had also been through so much. Experiencing every heart pounding moment and desperate situation alongside them. Every agonizing moment of uncertainty about their future was a moment he couldn’t spend with their child. Every harrowing situation they’d managed to escape amounted to a plethora of moments he couldn’t spend holding Baekhyun in his arms and telling him he loved him.                                           

 

If ever he found himself regretting the consequences of his actions, it would be too late to remind himself that it was possible to live peacefully in the moment without fear for the future.

 

The laws of the land were set in stone and there were important matters that needed to be addressed. But Chanyeol wanted their moment to last forever. A moment where they could finally be at peace. 

 

Per Baekhyun’s need and desire to stretch his legs, a quick walk around the campground was promptly arranged. A campground on the outskirts of town with an abundance of food, water, and useful supplies served as the current base for the four survivors. He knew they couldn’t stay there forever. Sooner or later they would be driven away, whether by their own accord or external forces he couldn’t be sure. To consider all of the possible scenarios leading up to the continuation of their journey was too complex.

 

Chanyeol was tired of pondering things he might never understand. He was tired of thinking. He just wanted to feel.

 

The feel of Baekhyun’s lips on his own wasn’t enough to satisfy his craving. No, he wanted to feel more.

 

He secured the entrance of their tent for privacy- muffling the sounds of Xiumin and Chen’s playful banter outside- before kissing Baekhyun with such fervor and desperation. The older of the two moaned in surprise before kissing back with the same intensity. 

 

His hunger for survival and preoccupation with their safety left no room for compromise. The world as they once knew it was destroyed and the people they’d once known remained sufferers of annihilation. The night of their wedding would not- no-  _ could  _ not suffer the same catastrophic fate.

 

It was a relief to shed those foul smelling clothes and toss them somewhere irrelevant. It had been so long since they’d been that close with  _ nothing _ separating them. Baekhyun tangled his fingers in Chanyeol’s dark hair, pulling the taller closer to him with just enough force to let him know he was content and he wanted their escapade to continue. 

 

Soft lips pressed once more against his own at the same time rough calloused hands gripped his waist. He was then forced to turn away, the hands on his waist guiding his body into a different position. His palms and knees were planted firmly against the floor of the tent, provided with very little cushioning from the hard ground underneath. His thighs spread instinctively at the same time his back arched inward. His belly claimed its own resting spot on the tent floor, relieving some of the pressure off his back.

 

A pleasurable groan sounded from behind, from the person who was offered such a tantalizing view. Baekhyun moaned in response, wantonly rocking his body back in the hopes of getting Chanyeol’s rough hands on him again. His efforts proved instantly successful when he felt large hands roam his plush thighs and fleshy ass. 

 

“Jesus  _ fucking _ …” Chanyeol was at a loss for words. It was the first time he’d been given the opportunity to admire his spouse’s pregnant body in such an  _ intimate  _ manner. If he had all the time in the world he would spend it caressing and kissing every inch of Baekhyun’s exposed skin. 

 

The desperate whimpers coming from the man on all fours served as a much needed reminder that they didn’t have all the time in the world. With the limited time they did have, Chanyeol would make sure to show and tell Baekhyun he loved him in all the ways he knew how. 

 

The insertion of the first finger was preceded by a comforting hand on his lower back. The initial sting was unavoidable, with nothing more than saliva serving as makeshift lubrication. The action still elicited a choked moan, Baekhyun urging Chanyeol to continue in the absence of words. Another finger was eventually added in preparation for what was to come.

 

“Keep going.” Baekhyun spoke for the first time in a while. An invitation for Chanyeol to ease in a third and fourth finger. In that special moment, they forgot where they were. The ghosts of the past and demons of the future no longer existed. He and Chanyeol were the only ones left, converging to accomplish the same interim goal. 

 

With Baekhyun’s permission and encouragement, Chanyeol finally entered his spouse. What could have been the last time felt like the  _ first  _ time. The joining of two becoming one. 

Chanyeol’s thrusts started out painstakingly slow, impaired by his selfish need to revel in the feel of  Baekhyun’s walls caging him in. A noise of blatant disapproval was heard from the pregnant man beneath him. 

 

“Just fuck me.” Baekhyun breathed. “Fuck me like we’ll never see tomorrow.”

 

Chanyeol paused, his large hands gripping Baekhyun’s wide hips. If they  _ didn’t _ get to see tomorrow, all he wanted to say was, “I love you, Baekhyun. So fucking much.”

 

“I love you too, Chanyeol. More than I can say.” 

 

That was all Chanyeol wanted to hear. All he ever  _ needed _ to hear. 

 

He tightened his grip, yanking Baekhyun closer to him with admirable strength. A surprised yelp transformed into resounding approval of the sudden shift in determination. Chanyeol was determined to have Baekhyun screaming his name and begging for more. 

 

As an offered compensation for the relentless snap of his hips, he draped his taller and broader body over the smaller, leaving a soft trail of kisses on the exposed neck. His body maintained its protective posture as he unforgivingly pounded into the man underneath. He grunted from the exertion, synchronizing with Baekhyun’s increasingly loud moans. 

 

Each and every thrust sent an intense wave of pleasure down Baekhyun’s spine. He shivered from the intensity of his emotions- pain, pleasure, gratification, and adoration- all at once. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t think. He could only  _ feel _ . Feel his husband’s thick cock tearing him apart. Making him feel so wonderful, so terribly happy.

 

He didn’t want it to end. He could listen to Chanyeol’s low raspy groans for an eternity, feel the comforting weight of his husband’s body forever. If forever did exist, Chanyeol would be willing to protect Baekhyun for however many moments and situations it would amount to. 

 

Baekhyun would be equally as willing, supporting his companion for as long as the world existed. 

 

When the end was in sight and the moment they currently shared would soon be another memory of the past, Baekhyun was the one to interrupt their natural rhythm of synchronization. He reached for Chanyeol’s hand, noting it hadn’t yet moved from the curve of his hips. He gave the larger hand a soft squeeze, Chanyeol interpreting the intention of the gesture with ease.

 

He came to an abrupt halt, hips stilling upon request. He offered assistance as needed, hands steadying Baekhyun as he maneuvered his way around the restrictive tent. A more comfortable and intimate position quickly took precedence.

 

From his new position in Chanyeol’s lap, Baekhyun smiled gently and planted a peck on his spouse’s lips. The passion had been rekindled- a flickering flame coaxed into a roaring fire- yet the source remained beautifully unchanging. 

 

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist tenderly, holding his gaze with an ardent one of his own. Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his spouse’s neck, considering how marvelous it would be to never have to let go. 

 

A contagious chuckle soon reached Baekhyun’s ears. Warranting an amused chortle of his own when he felt their baby move between them. 

 

Chanyeol averted his gaze for a moment, focusing his attention on the large belly that pressed against his own. “Is this how it’s going to be, little baby? Interrupting mommy and daddy’s alone time.”

 

A few strong kicks and flutters in response. Chanyeol nodded thoughtfully, taking the response into genuine consideration.

 

“I see. Well, would you give us just a few more minutes?”

  
  


The kicks slowly faded until they would no longer prevent any distraction. Chanyeol gave the belly an affectionate rub, wanting to convey as much love to their child as he did to Baekhyun. 

 

When it became apparent they could continue on- enjoying the alone time they’d fought hard for- they leaped at the opportunity. Chanyeol captured Baekhyun’s lips in a heated kiss, accentuating the liplock with an upward thrust of his hips.

 

They fell into another- much less intense- rhythm of synchronization. Yet the grunts and moans remained, disrupted only by Baekhyun yelling Chanyeol’s name as he approached his climax. The tent was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin and panting, both parties chasing after the same powerful sensation.

 

The effect took hold simultaneously, Chanyeol releasing his pent up sexual frustrations at the exact time Baekhyun released his. He filled his pregnant husband to the brim, coating his insides white. Baekhyun finished untouched, white tendrils of his own release stringing across his stomach.

 

With nothing to indicate the presence of danger, nothing to indicate a need for swiftness and briskness, they took the time to catch their breaths. Chanyeol was hesitant to pull out and Baekhyun was hesitant to pull away. They knew once they did, they would have to re-acknowledge the shitstorm of their reality. 

 

They stayed in each other’s arms for an unspecified amount of time before parting with a kiss and a simple, ‘I love you.’ Chanyeol put his clothes back on first, noting with revolt how potent the smell of rotting flesh still was. The clothes would only do so much to keep them hidden, he acknowledged in rumination. Their theoretical armor would eventually crack, exposing the vulnerability underneath.  

  
  


He was immediately on guard once he stepped foot out of the tent. He quickly scanned his surroundings, noting the position of the sun to be indicative of late afternoon. Nothing seemed out of place. The forest, the campground, and their setup was as they had left it.

 

He zeroed in on the two men lounging back to back on outdoor folding chairs. Chen faced one side of the campground and forest while Xiumin faced the other. Their body language was relaxed and comfortable, causing Chanyeol to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

The sudden presence of another caught their attention. Chen- who’d been absentmindedly playing with the safety on his stolen handgun- looked up at the taller man with the faintest hint of contempt.

 

“No, we don’t mind watching out for flesh eating zombies while you and your husband fuck like you’ll never see tomorrow. Thanks for asking.” His remark, dripping with sarcasm, had Chanyeol rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He was the first to admit that he and Baekhyun hadn’t taken Chen and Xiumin into consideration when they’d acted on primal sexual instinct. 

 

Chen continued when Chanyeol failed to respond. “Remember, zombies have ears, lover boy. And so do we. Lucky for us they’re apparently far enough away that they couldn’t hear you.”

 

Xiumin rolled his eyes, addressing the current matter at hand. “Chen, let them be. Love in this shitty zombie infested world is a beautiful thing.”

 

Chen scoffed, “If we’re teaming up with them I don’t want to have to hear  _ that _ every single night.”

  
  
  


Xiumin smirked but since he and Chen were facing away from one another, the latter couldn’t see it. “Just because you haven’t gotten laid in who knows how long doesn’t mean you have the right to belittle people who have.”

 

Chen pouted and whined out a pitiful, “Hyung, that’s so mean.” 

 

Chanyeol missed Xiumin’s playful response, preoccupying himself with gathering water from a nearby lake. As he filled a small bucket and grabbed a clean cloth from the scattered camping gear, he mulled over Chen’s words. ‘ _ If _ we’re teaming up with them…’ Chanyeol realized that they hadn’t officially discussed their next plan of action. Chen and Xiumin had no idea what the married couple had journeyed out to find, no idea about the location of their desired end goal. 

 

Chanyeol carried the water and cloth back into their tent. He helped rid Baekhyun of the remnants of their escapade, knowing that the time for pleasure and leisure had passed. He pressed one last kiss to Baekhyun’s belly before they emerged from the tent together, hand in hand.

 

When Xiumin saw Baekhyun, looking much healthier and alert than the first time he’d seen him, he stood. He offered the pregnant man the seat he’d just vacated. Baekhyun sat down slowly.

 

“Now that Baekhyun’s recovered, we need to talk.” Xiumin addressed the three of them. 

Three pairs of eyes fixated on the man who held an air of authority around him. Baekhyun could only conclude his reigning position as their elder. 

 

He directed his next question to Baekhyun and Chanyeol although the topic applied to all of them. “Where do you plan on going from here?”

  
  
  


Baekhyun answered for them both. “We don’t exactly know how far along I am. Our best guess is seven or eight months. But we need to find someone who can deliver it. We’re hoping we have a good chance of finding more survivors in a big city.”

 

Xiumin seemed doubtful. “The outbreak started in the big cities. The chances of anyone managing to survive there-”

 

“Are small. We know.” Chanyeol interjected. “But, good or bad, it’s the only plan we’ve got.” Baekhyun and Chanyeol had seen the news stories covering the early months of the outbreak. They knew Busan and Seoul were the locations of the first reported cases. They knew how quickly the virus had spread and how deadly it was to anyone who fell victim to its catastrophe. 

 

Xiumin nodded somberly, knowing no matter how small the chances, the determination and motivation would remain. The alternative of sitting around and doing  _ nothing _ wasn’t worth it. 

 

Baekhyun looked from Chen to Xiumin and asked, “What about you guys? Where do you plan on going from here?”

 

Chen shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know. We’re just trying to survive in whatever way we can.”

 

Baekhyun nodded in understanding before asking,“What do you two know about the zombies?”

 

The friendly duo were the ones who’d figured out that wearing the zombies’ clothes and matching their scent was a sufficient way to increase the odds of survival. Surely they would have other useful information about the invading creatures.

 

Xiumin shared a look with Chanyeol, one Baekhyun couldn’t decipher. Yet he had a nagging suspicion the gaze held an important secret. A secret he was sure would turn his already tumultuous world upside down.

 

“You haven’t told him yet, have you?” Xiumin narrowed his eyes at Chanyeol, making them seem much sharper than before.

 

“Told me what?” Baekhyun asked at the same time Chanyeol shook his head. The tall man who stood suddenly grabbed his seated spouse’s hand and crouched in front of him. He looked straight into Baekhyun’s eyes. Underneath the love and devotion for his spouse, Chanyeol’s eyes possessed a whirlwind of turmoil.  

 

He placed a kiss on Baekhyun’s hand before speaking. “The zombies can smell us like we can smell them. They can hear us like we can hear them.”

 

Baekhyun nodded slowly, curiosity for what Chanyeol had to say and fear of what he  _ might  _ say left him overwhelmed and speechless.

 

“They thrive on death and destruction. Anything that threatens that puts them at a disadvantage.”

 

Baekhyun swallowed audibly. He didn’t understand why Chen and Xiumin looked at him with such remorse. He didn’t understand why Chanyeol insisted on rubbing soothing circles into his palm.

 

“Chanyeol, what are you trying to say?”

 

His eyes remained dark when he spoke next, “We’re not their biggest threat. We’re not the promise of change or a new life and a new future. We’re not the purest and the most innocent.”

 

Baekhyun’s voice dropped to a whisper, there was a level of understanding that appeared daunting. 

 

“I still don’t understand.”

 

Xiumin offered a response, though Baekhyun’s gaze did not stray. “Pure life can be detected by them when it reaches a certain point.”

 

“A certain point…?”

 

“When the heart of a baby is strong enough to sustain it. By that point, if the baby was born prematurely it would have a strong chance of survival. And if something happened to its mother, the baby would still have a strong chance.” 

 

Baekhyun didn’t have to look at the others to know what captured and held their gazes. He slowly looked down at his baby bump, now the center of attention.

 

“Soon they’ll be able to sense our baby.” Their pure and innocent baby was the biggest threat to their now tainted and sinful world. 

 

Chanyeol was the one who responded next, knowing that Baekhyun would have an easier time processing the full truth if he was the one to explain it.“Yes. By then, it won’t matter what we do to hide. If they’re close enough to sense the baby, they will. And they’ll do everything they can to try and destroy it.”

 

Baekhyun finally averted his gaze, the pain in his husband’s eyes pierced tragically through his heart. He looked from Xiumin to Chen, needing further explanation. “How do you know this?”

 

Xiumin sighed heavily, his demeanor conveying as much pain as Chanyeol currently felt. “My little sister was pregnant when the outbreak started. It was only the two of us and I did everything I could to protect her and keep her hidden. Past a certain point, I realized anything I did no longer mattered. They kept tracking us down and they kept attacking. When I couldn’t hold them back any longer, they reached my sister. They killed her unborn baby before she could even scream.”

 

Xiumin’s voice was thick with emotion, Chen stood and enveloped the man in a warm hug before he could say anything more.

 

“I found Xiumin right after he lost his sister and nephew. I could sense that he  _ needed _ a companion.”

 

It took Baekhyun a while to find his own voice. A large lump formed in the back of his throat. Once he did, he managed to speak with a strong and steady tone. “You did everything you could for your sister. And I’m going to do everything I can for my baby.”

 

If he were to lose the neverending fight on the unknown roads of the country or lifeless buildings of the city, at least he could face his destiny without fear. The essence of fear stemmed from the roots of the unknown. Knowing of the potential fate that awaited him and his baby made him less afraid. He would continue to fight until he had nothing left, knowing he did everything he could to survive. His death and the baby’s death would not be in vain. The efforts of his protector would not be futile.

 

Baekhyun grasped his husband’s other hand and gave a reassuring smile. “Yeol, this doesn’t change anything.”

 

Chanyeol sat where he previously crouched, resting a heavy head in his pregnant husband’s lap. Baekhyun spoke over the sound of tears. “Now that we know what’s going to happen, we can be stronger. We can prepare.” Naivete was only reserved for the weak. 

  
  


“I won’t let them hurt you. I won’t let them hurt our baby.” The taller man’s voice cracked under the weight of emotion.

 

“I know.” Baekhyun replied honestly, caressing fingers running through his husband’s soft hair. “We’ll fight like hell. And if something  _ does _ happen to us, don’t you dare blame yourself.”

 

Baekhyun would soon put them all in danger, more danger than could be avoided. He already knew of one person who was ready to take the risk, to throw himself into the enemy’s lair. 

 

He glanced from Xiumin to Chen once again. “Chanyeol and I have to be on our best guard. The baby is strong and healthy now. It’s not going to remain undetected for much longer. I won’t selfishly ask you to help us anymore. I’ll respect your decisions, wherever you choose to go and whatever you choose to do.”

 

Chen scoffed, removing his arms from around Xiumin’s waist. The time for comfort and reassurance was over.“You idiot. Of course we’ll help you.”

 

Xiumin nodded, short and absolute. “We have no purpose sitting around here and wishing humanity could be salvaged. We  _ will _ help you. And maybe find our own salvation along the way.”

 

Baekhyun’s fingers- still intertwined in Chanyeol’s hair- paused after he felt the taller man stiffen. The sound of tears dissipated into a painful memory of the past as Chanyeol removed himself from his spouse and stood, strong and proud. 

 

“There’s no more time to waste. We’re either going to get this done or die trying.” 

 

The sense of urgency returned with a vengeance and no one had any reasons to object. If they had any real chance of surviving before their cover was blown, they  _ needed _ a plan.

 

A quick search of the grounds revealed the previous inhabitants had been equipped with a map of the current and surrounding areas. If there was any chance in hell of getting to the end point, they had to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of their starting point. 

 

Xiumin spread the map out on the ground, prompting Chen and Chanyeol to crouch around it. In the early stages of planning, wherein ideas were bounced around and not a moment went by where one person wasn’t talking over another, Baekhyun kept to himself.

 

He remained seated near the tent, absentmindedly rubbing his belly. Knowing it could very well be his last time to enjoy a peaceful moment whilst surrounded by a serene environment, he took it all in. 

 

Two citron tents were set up side by side in the middle of a small forest clearing. A smattering of useful camp gear (including a battery powered stove top and hiking backpacks) and ample supplies were haphazardly piled around them. On either side of their temporary base, the forest was dense and bountiful, making it almost impossible to see the clear freshwater lake in the near distance. 

 

Directly overhead, the sun’s Spring rays peaked through a canopy of richly green leaves while surrounding undergrowth gave way to walking trails and paths. 

 

Baekhyun knew he would never be able to describe in words just how beautiful the nature was. It gave him comfort to know that something beautiful could still exist in the world. Everything was so bright, vibrant, and  _ alive _ . There was no guarantee he would be given the chance to witness anything equally as breathtaking ever again. 

  
  
  
  


He wondered how Chen and Xiumin were lucky enough to have stumbled across such a magnificent place. And he wondered, if he ever got the chance to come back, would it still be as beautiful then as it was now? 

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Chanyeol’s deep voice snapped Baekhyun from his thoughtful reverie. Before responding, his hands remained securely on his belly. He couldn’t help but imagine a beautiful future with their child in a beautiful place similar to where they currently were. 

 

Until Chanyeol brought him back to reality, he refused to consider any alternative. 

 

He nodded his head, noticing that all three of them were watching him. Because he was the biggest liability, they required the most cooperation and attention from him. He focused on the map in his husband’s hands, acknowledging his own commitment. 

 

The map was then spread out in front of him, details from their congregation were shared.

 

“We’re here.” Xiumin pointed to a circled dot in the bottom right of the map. Geochang county in South Gyeongsang Province, a few hours away from where he and Chanyeol grew up. Baekhyun followed Xiumin’s finger when it traced a straight line from Geochang to Seoul. “Seoul is 268 kilometers north. Trying to get there by foot would be-”

 

“Impossible because I would slow everyone down.” 

 

Xiumin gave Baekhyun a look of sympathy before nodding truthfully. He focused his gaze back on the map, pointing to a different circled dot. “Getting to Seoul is the long term goal. But what we need to focus on now is strengthening our level of defense against the zombies.”

 

Baekhyun nodded in understanding. Once the creatures were able to sense the baby as an imminent threat, they would become more of a prominent threat to the traveling party. 

 

“There’s a military base near Daegu. We can expect to find better weapons there.” Handguns and knives had been sufficient up until that point. And until they found better weapons, they would have to keep making do. “It’s about 74 kilometers east from here. It’s still a long way but we have a better chance. We’ll stay close to the highway and hopefully stumble upon an abandoned car and its keys.”

 

Things were much simpler from then on out. The rest of the day and early night was reserved for gathering all the food, water, supplies, and tools they could fit into the hiking backpacks. The plan would officially commence the next morning after everyone received adequate sleep and rest. 

 

When darkness fell and covered everything in its large shadow, sleep came in various shifts to all but Baekhyun. Since the upcoming journey was sure to be most exhausting for him, the three men insisted he get as much rest as he could. 

 

With Baekhyun’s permission and Chanyeol’s insistence, Chen spent his hours of rest in the same tent as Baekhyun. Although Chen’s presence differed from Chanyeol’s in essence, Baekhyun still found comfort in knowing he wasn’t alone and that someone _ else _ was willing to make sure he wasn’t alone. 

 

The sounds of rustling throughout the night couldn’t have been avoided. As the rotation of shifts continued, Baekhyun found Xiumin’s presence offered a similar comfort to Chen’s. The eldest man situated himself far enough away so as not to impose but close enough for Baekhyun to feel the warmth radiating from his body. 

  
  


As he drifted back to sleep, he couldn’t help but wonder if he and the baby would be worth protecting to the people who had no obligation to protect. 

 

The latest hours of the night and the resplendent moments of early morning were spent in the arms of his lover. Chanyeol’s lips never strayed far from Baekhyun’s forehead and his hand found no greater satisfaction from its place on the side of Baekhyun’s belly. His arm wrapped securely around his waist, providing safety and contentment for the one who could appreciate it most. 

 

Even the promise of a hot breakfast could not separate them. Xiumin and Chen were nice enough to meet their accommodations, directly serving them freshly made food off the battery powered stove top.

 

The completion of breakfast and the onset of dawn reunited the married couple with their two allies. Backpacks were hoisted on backs and weapons were secured in holsters. Chanyeol, Xiumin, and Chen bore the brunt of their traveling base, providing Baekhyun with only the bare minimum. He was given weapons of defense- a knife he could slash and a gun he could fire- but the others carried the tools of survival on their backs. 

 

Once the sun reached its highest angle of incidence, the emitted light revealed nothing more than a desolate campground. The presence of humans momentarily lingered before disappearing into the dark recesses of the forest.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

One might describe true friendship as a slow build of r esilience in the face of adversity,  standing strong against the perils of time. If adversity and resilience remained closely linked to the exclusion of time, would friendship have enough sustenance to survive?

 

Although annoying at times, Chen's penchant for sarcasm gave a sense of normalcy. His neverending whining served as an invitation for teasing jokes. Xiumin’s unwavering concern for their safety promoted a level of trust that was impossible to refute. The characteristics of his sweet personality offered a sense of reassuring comfort to his unsure comrades, filling the role of the older brother they so desperately needed. 

 

If they somehow made it out alive and were rewarded another chance to live normal lives, Baekhyun could only hope he would be given the honor of calling them his friends. But for now, sandwiched in the middle of their protective barricade, he was proud to call them his allies 

 

**

 

Chen spoke up from behind, his prominent voice rang clear. “From what I’ve seen, when you get bitten either the virus kills you or you turn into one of them.”

 

”Have you noticed a pattern?” Xiumin’s voice originated from the front and easily found its way to the back.

 

”No. I think it’s completely up to chance. Either you die or become the undead.”

 

Xiumin and Chen’s voices continued to bounce back and forth, passing over Chanyeol and Baekhyun each time. No matter how many times it’d been strategized, reworked and reorganized, their offensive formation found Baekhyun consistently in the middle. Stuck in the middle of conversations he didn’t always want to hear,  _ especially _ given their situation.

 

”Could we talk about something else?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry, Baekhyun.” Chen apologized from behind. He maintained an average distance of a few paces behind Chanyeol and Baekhyun to address any potential threats from the formation’s posterior angle. 

 

Chanyeol walked with his arm around Baekhyun’s waist, on the lookout for potential dangers from a lateral vantage point. 

 

In an effort to steer the conversation in a completely different (and hopefully better) direction, Chen inquired, “Can I ask you a sorta personal question?”

 

Baekhyun looked behind curiously and nodded before setting his sights ahead once more. Deprived of basic sustained eye contact, it felt strange to have a personal conversation. Keeping his gaze firmly ahead, Baekhyun would have to pay close attention to the tone of Chen’s voice in an effort to decipher his communicative intent and emotion. He just hoped the topic of conversation wouldn’t require  _ too _ much exchanging of personal information.

 

“What made you and Chanyeol decide to have a baby in the middle of all this?”

 

Baekhyun blinked, only mildly surprised Chen would be interested to hear more about his pregnancy. Pregnancy in an apocalyptic world presented more challenges and obstacles than most would be willing to overcome. It was only expected of Chen to assume he and Chanyeol actually  _ decided _ they were ready for the responsibilities of having a baby while fighting to stay alive.

 

Baekhyun responded with a small shrug before speaking aloud, “We didn’t decide at all. We had never even talked about having a baby but I found out I was pregnant on our wedding night. The same night the virus reached our town.”

 

Chanyeol spoke before Chen had a chance to, “Of course I wanted to start a family with Baek eventually but...I guess you can say the right thing happened at the wrong time.”

 

Baekhyun shot a teasing smile in Chanyeol’s direction, quickly forgetting about their other comrade who had once been apart of the conversation. “Yeah, the baby has shit timing. Just like its daddy.”

 

Chanyeol acted upon the urge to defend himself, “Hey, I always pulled out before I finished.”

 

“And yet you  _ still _ got me pregnant.” Baekhyun placed a quick kiss on his pouting husband’s lips to remind him their baby was nothing short of a blessing regardless. “But since you’re so cute and sexy when you’re protecting us I forgive you.”

 

A noise of disgust was heard from the man trailing behind them, “I can't decide if you guys are freaking adorable or freaking disgusting.”

 

A short chortle from the front traveled to the back of the formation. Xiumin couldn’t resist becoming apart of the conversation, steering it further along a lighthearted path. “They’re clearly both.”

 

A laugh escaped from Baekhyun’s mouth, mingling with Chanyeol and Chen’s amused chuckles. Walking down a deserted highway in the middle of a forsaken territory called upon a need for lightheartedness and jokes. Since they hadn’t garnered much success in the past hours they’d been walking, the alternative to smiling and laughing was as bleak as the dusky cloudy sky. With an average of 65 kilometers before they chanced upon the army base, they smiled and laughed because it was all they could do to get by.

  
  
  


When the smiling, laughing, and joking could no longer mask the heaviness of his feet and the pressure of the excess weight on his back, Baekhyun gathered the courage to verbally express his limitations. 

 

“I’m so sorry, guys. But I need to take a break.”

 

At the head of their formation, Xiumin was the first one to acknowledge and agree to Baekhyun’s request. His eyes focused on the darkening sky above before watching Chanyeol help his pregnant husband sit comfortably in the middle of the road. Another apology found its way to Xiumin’s ears and he shook his head.

 

“It’s okay, Baekhyun. Really.”

 

“Yeah.” Chen nodded. “Don’t apologize, you’re walking for two. And besides,” He began to shrug off his backpack to let it fall ungracefully to the ground, “I needed to pee anyways.”

 

The last thing Chen heard before darting off the side of the road- disappearing into the trees and underbrush- was Xiumin’s observational prediction of approaching stormy weather. 

 

When he left his comrades behind, Chen wasn’t expecting his venture into the woods to amount to anything worthwhile. They’d been walking along the road for hours without stumbling upon any discovery that could aid their arduous expedition. Thus far, there hadn’t been any implications that could have possibly led him to assume anything good would come out of taking a bathroom break off the side of the road.

 

Although he hadn’t strayed far from the comfort and safety of his traveling party, he still kept a close observational eye on his surroundings. If one (or more) of those monstrous creatures was bold enough to attack him during his time of relief, he wanted to be ready to fight back. 

 

His perceptiveness amounted to much more than basic zombie preparedness when his gaze caught the uneven proportions of flattened underbrush. He finished his business as quickly as he could before hurrying towards what strongly resembled the appearance of tire tracks. 

 

He followed the lines of flattened underbrush further into the trees and chanced a paranoid look behind to confirm he wasn’t being followed. One advantage of smelling like zombies was that the zombies had a harder time tracking them by scent alone. The most overlooked disadvantage was that he and his human comrades would  _ also _ have a harder time tracking the zombies by scent alone. When the smell of death lingered around persistently, it was much harder to discern its origins and current whereabouts.

 

Knowing he was putting himself in a dangerous position by venturing farther into the trees alone, Chen could only wish his efforts worthwhile.

 

The appearance of a worn out gray SUV nearly brought him to his knees in relief. The car was nestled atop a thick bed of underbrush with tree limbs caressing it from all four sides. The front of the car kissed a large rooted tree, the meager dent on its hood a product of minimal contact.

 

As he ran over to the car, he lowered his invisible shield of defense. He hoped and prayed his temporary lapse in judgement would be compensated by his magnificent find.

 

Since they’d left Geochang, they’d stumbled upon a few abandoned cars on the road. But without any knowledge or tools to manipulate the abandoned machinery, the absence of keys rendered them helpless. 

 

It took every bit of self control to not shout with joy when the glint of silver keys managed to illuminate his dreary surroundings. He quickly found the doors to be unlocked as well, leading him to question the rationale behind the car ending up in the middle of the trees on the side of the road. The previous owner’s whereabouts were unknown, leading to the assumption they had either been killed or currently patrolled the forest as a soldier of the undead.

 

The first few drops of rain slid down his back as he reached inside for the keys. He was too preoccupied with his victorious discovery and its optimistic implications that he couldn’t hear the subtle footsteps over the sudden downpour.

 

When a familiar snarl reached his ears, he instinctively spun around. Mere inches from his face, the sharp teeth of the undead flashed menacingly. Without any time to draw a weapon, he brought his hands up to push against the advancing creature. 

 

Currently matched in strength, the zombie and Chen exerted equal and opposite power. All he could see was the constant opening and closing of the creature’s mouth, knowing fully well that it had every intention to sink its teeth into his flesh.

 

Knowing they would be stuck in that position unproductively if he didn’t take initiative, Chen used every ounce of strength he had to push the creature far enough away from him. Once he had time to grab his knife, it was a simple feat to bring the creature to its knees and bury the weapon in the base of its neck.

 

It wasn’t long before the other creatures from its pack manifested from the shadows of the trees. And Chen realized only a moment too late that he’d already dropped and lost the car keys. Knowing there were too many for him to fight alone, his only means of escaping required him to retreat. He ran as if his life depended on it, knowing he needed to warn the others.

 

He was out of breath and soaking wet when he reached the road. His rush of fragmented sentences weren’t coherent enough for comprehension but his sense of urgency had Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol defensively on their feet.

 

The rain pounded against the asphalt at the same time their enemies emerged from the trees and surrounded their prey. Guns were drawn simultaneously and Baekhyun found himself pushed in the center of the surrounding three men who remained at the forefront of the battle. His view was obscured by the backs of his comrades and his lover but he remained on high alert, listening intently to his surroundings.

 

He was certain to be the only one who heard- over the sounds and snarls of the enemies- Chen’s exciting revelation. An abandoned and  _ useable _ car had been found off road but their chance at escape had been squashed under the weight of the enemy. When the sounds of gunfire mixed with the patter of rain, Baekhyun knew their chances of victory were as slim as they’d always been. 

 

The resounding sound of war would soon attract more creatures and unavoidable death sentences for all four- no-  _ five _ of them. Chen, Xiumin, and Chanyeol were currently fighting for their lives  _ and _ the lives of Baekhyun and his baby. Although nothing Baekhyun could say or do would stop them from putting their lives on the line for him, he still hoped he would be forgiven for his hasty decision once the battle reached a conclusion.

 

Immediately to his left, he saw Xiumin shoot and kill a handful of the nightmarish monsters. At the same time they crumpled to the ground, rendering that side of the road temporarily safe, Baekhyun escaped from the confines of his protectors. As stealthy as he tried to be, he couldn’t help the small brush of his shoulder against Chanyeol’s.

 

Alerted to but not quite understanding the motivation behind Baekhyun’s escape, Chanyeol could only plead for his husband not to follow through with his plan. Chanyeol’s pleas quickly dissolved behind the snarls and growls of the predators. Only when he was completely surrounded and overpowered did he realize Baekhyun had long since darted out of sight and his heartbreaking cries had fallen on deaf ears. 

 

Fighting his way through a large thicket of trees, Baekhyun’s eyes filled with tears when he heard his name being called repeatedly. There was so much pain in Chanyeol’s voice and so much fear that it weighed upon him like a ton of bricks. Although he longed to run back and promise Chanyeol he was okay, he knew his current efforts would have then amounted to nothing. 

 

For his husband, for his baby, for his comrades, and for himself, he had to keep running forward. Although the rain made visibility incredibly poor, Baekhyun easily found the same area Chen had stumbled upon earlier. The flattened underbrush stood out among the overgrown weeds and he continued to push forward.

 

He remained aware of his surroundings, noting with relief that the zombies hadn’t followed him. He put a hand on his belly, content with knowing that- for now- the baby’s life remained obscure. If he could just remain undetected for a little while longer, maybe they all had a chance of evading impending death again.

 

Still, Baekhyun knew the odds were against him and there were too many things that could go wrong. He could only see ahead or behind as far as the rain would allow, knowing that a predator or two could be lurking beyond his vantage point. The ground beneath his feet was soaked and incredibly slippery, putting the heavily pregnant man at another disadvantage. 

 

When the abandoned SUV materialized into sight, Baekhyun rushed forward. Blinded by excitement and the thrill of discovery, he grew careless. Not so unlike Chen’s previous mistake, Baekhyun focused his attention on the promise of a better future, disregarding the hardships of the present. 

 

It wasn’t long before he lost his balance on the slick ground, falling hard on his hands and knees. He held back a shriek of pain, aware of just how dangerous it would be if the zombies figured out exactly where he was. For the first time since the outbreak commenced, he realized he was truly alone. He would have to fight by himself if the situation arose. As terrifying as that seemed, he knew that the consequences of losing the battle would be more terrifying. 

 

More determined now than before, he rose to his feet and proceeded to the car. He opened the driver’s side door and searched relentlessly for the keys. He swore under his breath when his search revealed nothing but frustration.

 

“Where did you put the keys, Chen?” He spoke aloud. He remembered how quickly Chen had darted out of the trees and how flustered he’d seemed. He could only assume Chen had dropped the keys somewhere along the way and could only pray he’d dropped them somewhere close by.

 

“Shit.” He swore again, knowing that every second he spent looking for the keys was a second more that Chanyeol, Xiumin, and Chen had to fight to stay alive. 

 

Fully prepared to check the passenger’s side of the car and look for the keys there, Baekhyun paused when the sound of rustling leaves reached his sensitive ears. But unlike Chen, Baekhyun spun around in plenty of time to see two enemies closing in on him.

 

He stood firm and reached for the weapons on his belt, confident that he would be able to defeat the two enemies on his own. When his hands grasped at nothing but air, his sudden loss of confidence paved the way for his sudden influx of panic.

 

His hands remained empty as his enemies swiftly approached. He swore yet again, when the glint of a familiar knife taunted him from the other side of the fight. He could only guess he’d dropped his weapons during his fall and had been too preoccupied to notice. Knowing it was much too late for regrets, he just had to hope his lost gun wouldn't be making an unexpected appearance anytime soon.

 

He took in a deep shaky breath, knowing that his life and his baby’s life were in his hands and his hands only. He no longer had the assistance of weapons to compensate for his now limited fighting abilities. But what he did have was determination and the skills he’d gained from practicing martial arts for many years.

 

He slid his left leg forward, pulling his hip back and shifting the majority of his weight to his back leg. He turned the blade of his left hand towards his enemies, keeping his fingers straight and his thumb bent and locked. He curled his right hand into a strong fist, bringing it to rest against his solar plexus. 

 

The one with the knife charged at him first, carelessly swinging the blade at chest level and causing Baekhyun to duck quickly and instinctively. The second one approached him from the side, snarling while opening and closing its mouth threateningly. 

 

Baekhyun landed a low roundhouse kick with his shin, knocking the creature to the ground with a grunt. Whilst temporarily preoccupied with the creature on one side, Baekhyun didn’t have enough time to defend against the armed zombie’s second slash. The knife grazed Baekhyun’s left hand and he hissed. He felt the trickle of blood run down his palm as he swung his left foot counterclockwise. He used the momentum of the kick to collide with the zombie’s left calf to send it barrelling to the ground next to the other one. 

 

Baekhyun yanked the knife from its hand, aiming for the base of its head where he knew the brainstem would be. Only after he killed the first one did he have the satisfaction of knocking the second one to the ground again and burying his knife into its brainstem as well. 

 

As he crouched down to remove the knife from his opponent, he noticed a glint of silver on the ground next to a third zombie corpse he hadn’t noticed before. He re-sheathed his knife before running over to examine the mysterious flash of silver. 

 

It took him a split second to identify the missing key before he was hopping into the driver’s side and putting it in the ignition. It didn’t start right away and it took every ounce of self control not to panic. Time was of the essence and there was no telling how much longer his husband and their comrades could keep holding out. The sound of gunfire remained steady in the background and at least he knew they hadn’t given up yet. They would continue to fight to the end and Baekhyun could only hope he would make it there sometime  _ before _ then.

 

“Come on.” He hissed to the sputtering car. The rain pounded loudly against the roof and windshield of the SUV mixing with the sound of gunfire in the background. 

 

“Please start.” He begged, the sputtering continued on for a few seconds more before finally smoothing out. The windshield wipers sprung to life at the same time the headlights illuminated the dark trees around him and revealed a new herd of zombies trudging through the trees.

 

He shifted the car in reverse before turning around so quickly that the wheels slid on the grass. Only after he regained complete control of the car did he shift it into drive and press the accelerator down to the floor. It lurched ahead, pushing his body back against the seat simultaneously. 

 

He drove the car down the same path he’d taken to find it before reaching the road minutes later. The once deserted road was now littered with the battered corpses of zombies and the steady stream of newcomers to replace their fallen soldiers.

 

At the center of it all were three very exhausted yet uninjured men who couldn’t take a moment to breathe between the defeat of their last enemy and the onslaught of their next. Baekhyun could see in the forward hunch of their shoulders and staggering gaits that they couldn’t hold out much longer. 

 

The unexpected purr of an engine followed by flashing headlights brought the battle to an unexpected halt. The exhausted men stumbled in surprise before regaining their composure and coming to the realization that they were being given the opportunity to avoid death again.

 

The promise of fleeing that ghastly scene and reuniting with his family found Chanyeol strategically navigating out of the enemy’s clutches and running towards freedom moments later. Chen and Xiumin followed close behind, motivated by their own reasonings and desires for the future.

 

Influenced by the actions of their prey, the zombies trailed close behind. It quickly became apparent that the glorification of destruction could not and would not hold precedence over the quintessence of humanity.

 

They reached the car with seconds to spare- flinging the doors open manically and tossing in any lost supplies they managed to snag along the way- before jumping behind the safety of a metal barricade. 

 

Being surrounded on all four sides by the hissing and snarling creatures left them with very few options. Though they seemed to be in agreeance that the only escape from the pandemonium required them to go  _ through _ it. Not unlike before, Baekhyun didn’t hesitate to press the accelerator to the carpeted floor beneath. The car lurched ahead and paved its own path with minimal difficulty.

 

The zombies that were unlucky enough to find themselves in the path of the automobile were eliminated on contact. The others that managed to survive sprinted alongside and behind the car, not yet ready to relinquish their belligerent rights to devour their prey.

 

The abilities and skills the zombies inherited were nothing more than a rough approximation of standard human capabilities. They only managed to sprint at a certain pace up to a certain distance before the vehicle was speeding down the highway and out of their sight.

 

Baekhyun only slowed down once he was absolutely sure the enemies weren’t close enough to pose a threat. He dimmed his headlights per Xiumin’s request to proceed inconspicuously down the deserted highway. Convinced that they were no longer in immediate danger, Baekhyun relaxed a little, realizing soon after that Chanyeol hadn’t said a word since their subsequent escape.

 

“Yeol.” Baekhyun glanced over at the passenger side. Chanyeol’s eyes were closed and he rested his head against the seatrest. Any unsuspecting person would assume he’d fallen prey to the hypnotic tendrils of sleep. But Baekhyun could see that sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. The subtlety of his fingernails digging into his palm was all the indication he needed.

 

“How could you just run away like that?” His icy voice sent chills down Baekhyun’s spine.

 

When Baekhyun didn’t respond, Chanyeol’s eyes opened and began to follow the steady trickle of blood that still ran down his spouse’s palm. He shook his head in disbelief, just barely concealing his contradictory emotions. 

 

“Look at your hand.”

 

Baekhyun glanced down at the knife wound, feeling it throb with every beat of his heart. He removed his left hand from the wheel and buried it in his lap, a crude attempt at concealment. 

 

“It’s okay.” He responded softly. He could feel Chanyeol’s aura shift to something much more sinister and palpable. He tensed in anticipation, waiting for Chanyeol to snap.

 

“No, it’s not fucking okay!” He yelled, causing the tension in the car to reach a distressing level. “Did you even consider the danger you were putting yourself and the baby in?”

 

Baekhyun clenched his jaw before responding, “Did you even think about how it felt for me to stand there while everyone else put their lives on the line? Can’t I be useful for something too?”

 

Chen was hesitant to speak up from the backseat, knowing it wasn’t his place to interfere. Still, he managed to admit dejectedly, “I shouldn’t have gone as far off road as I did. I was the one who initially found the abandoned car and gave our position away to the enemies. I told Baekhyun about the car and…” He trailed off momentarily before reaching his erroneous conclusion, “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. If you’re going to yell at anyone, Chanyeol, you should yell at me.”

 

Xiumin spoke up from the seat next to him, adamant about the inaccuracies of blame. “Dae, it’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. We all made it out alive and that’s all that matters. No one has any reason to be mad at anyone.” 

 

The entire car was silent, each person mulling over the impacts of their decisions and the faults in execution.

 

Xiumin broke the silence with a simple and reasonable request. “Baekhyun, go ahead and stop the car. I’ll drive. You need to take care of your injury.”

 

Baekhyun nodded wordlessly before bringing the car to a halt and shifting it to park. Although his and Chanyeol’s transition to the backseat was wordless and alienated, the latter didn’t hesitate to tend to his spouse’s injured hand with a gentleness so unlike his previously harsh tone.

  
  
  


With the assistance of a first aid kit they’d salvaged from the Geochang campsite, Chanyeol cleaned and wrapped Baekhyun’s hand in sturdy gauze. He brought his pregnant spouse into his arms at the same time Xiumin eased the car back into drive.

 

“You’re okay, right?” Chanyeol murmured with soft lips against his lover’s forehead.

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m sorry too.”

 

Safe and secure, Baekhyun allowed himself to relax in his husband’s arms. In a world full of negativity and disaster, there was no room for disagreements and arguments. To safeguard the preservation of their humanity, they had to stay positive. No matter what. 

 

From his place in the driver’s seat, Xiumin slipped a tentative hand into Chen’s. He was met with little resistance. Having stared down the barrel of death again, both of them were aware of just how much they meant to one another. If ever he longed for absolution, Xiumin knew Chen was just a short reach away.

 

Having faced their own hardships, neither Chanyeol nor Baekhyun questioned the extent of their comrades’ relationship. There was no guessing what else Xiumin and Chen had been through before they’d found each other and what they’d been forced to endure  _ after _ teaming up. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter as much. All that mattered was that Chen and Xiumin still had each other just as Baekhyun and Chanyeol still had each other.

  
  
  


Despite the ambiguity of their past, Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile when he saw them holding hands.

 

“Earlier, you called him Dae.” He spoke, not to pry for information but just to declare his observation. 

 

“Oh, yeah.” Xiumin chuckled a little. “I guess I did.”

 

Chen spoke next, his hand remaining in the warm comfort of Xiumin’s. “My real name is Jongdae.”

 

“And mine is Minseok. It was silly of us to think that if we changed our names we would have an easier time forgetting about the lives we once lived and lost.”

 

Baekhyun nodded but didn’t respond. It was safe to assume they all had things they wanted to forget. And as the car continued on its wayward journey to the army base, Baekhyun rested a hand on his belly. He welcomed the larger hand that covered his own, both acknowledging the miracle they still had to look forward to. 

 

**

 

It was around mid evening when they happened upon a neglected tollgate. The onslaught of rain had receded into largely spaced droplets, enhancing their visibility tenfold. Just beyond the current landmark, a small metropolitan-esque city stretched across the horizon. A smattering of tall shadowed buildings stood firm and eerie in the distance. 

 

Chanyeol leaned forward for a better view, gripping the back of Jongdae’s seat for assistance. As they drove through the tollgate and into the city, the atmosphere remained still and calm. He kept a close eye out for  _ anything _ that could pose a threat to his husband and unborn child. Nothing substantial had stood out to him yet. But he still wasn’t willing to let his guard down.

 

“We need to find the armory first and then we can continue on to Seoul.” Chanyeol said, not entertaining the idea of spending the night in another unfamiliar area. Too many risks were hidden behind the shadows of the unknown. 

 

Minseok shook his head slowly. “I think it’s best if we spend the night here. We’re running low on gas and I don’t think anyone is awake enough to drive to Seoul.”

 

Chanyeol sighed but came to the conclusion that since Minseok had been the only habitually logical person in their group, it  _ would  _ be better if they held off going to Seoul for one more day. But to think that Baekhyun was nearing the end of his third trimester without a safe area to deliver the baby and without an experienced person to deliver it terrified him to say the least. 

 

And if the stress of constantly running from their nightmarish enemies caused Baekhyun to go into early labor-

 

A soft peck on the lips silenced Chanyeol’s scattered and intrusive thoughts.

“Stop thinking so hard. Minseok already found the armory.”

 

He’d been lost in his head longer than he cared to admit. Realizing with trepidation that each second passed was a second closer to whatever conclusive end their actions and decisions would construct. If only a fabrication confined to the recesses of his mind, he envisaged freedom, a chance for his child to grow up without fear of the future or turmoil from the past.

 

Knowing he could never reach an idealistic utopia if he didn’t deal with the harbingers of their current dystopia, he hopped out of the parked car with unbreakable resolve. He strode purposefully up the sidewalk to a small nondescript warehouse. The others trailed closely behind, hoping for task simplicity but expecting none.

 

He tried the door handle a few times before facing his team and relaying the unfortunate news. 

 

“It’s locked.”

 

“Figures,” Jongdae spoke, “We’ll see if we can find something to pick the lock.”

 

Once Jongdae and Minseok retraced their steps to the car, Baekhyun and Chanyeol continued (unsuccessfully) to try and open the door. After Chanyeol had rammed his shoulder against it a few times to no avail, Baekhyun spoke.

 

“I’ll try to find a window we can break.”

 

Only after Baekhyun had disappeared around the corner did a metallic click fill the empty night. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Chanyeol found himself staring down the barrel of a gun and into a lucent beam of light.

 

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you.” A deep voice threatened. Over the glare of the flashlight, Chanyeol could see narrowed eyes belonging to a serious looking man. 

He didn’t have a chance to respond before Baekhyun hurried back in time to stand between him and the gunman. Chanyeol wasn’t even given the chance to protest nor voice his dissatisfaction about his  _ pregnant _ husband taking  _ another _ dangerous risk.

 

“Because we’re still human and we don’t want any trouble.” Baekhyun spoke, maintaining a non threatening posture. 

  
  
  


The beam of the flashlight made a cautious sweep over the married couple, searching for deceit in their eyes or maliciousness in their stances. Not finding any indication of malevolent intent, the gunman lowered his gun but kept his flashlight raised.

 

“How many of you are here?”

 

“Four.” Baekhyun responded, so astonished to be staring into the stable gaze of  _ another _ human that he was willing to answer every question asked. 

 

“Why do you smell like the zombies?”

 

“It’s harder for us to be tracked if we smell like them.”

 

“What business do you have here?”

 

“We just want better weapons.”

 

The beam of light made a sudden and rapid descent, landing and remaining fixed on the swell of Baekhyun’s belly. Baekhyun followed the lightbeam, resting a hand on his stomach and receiving a kick in response.

 

“You’re pregnant.” The man stated. A flood of elusive emotion made his voice quiver. Baekhyun nodded in confirmation.

 

The lightbeam suddenly shifted from Baekhyun’s belly to Chanyeol’s stoic face, synonymous with a shift in attention.

 

“I’m assuming Yoda’s the father.”

 

Chanyeol’s jaw clenched, his stoic expression crumbling under the weight of a single sentence.

 

“Will you just let us inside? We’ll be out of your way in a second.”

 

The man nodded and finally moved aside, allowing them access to more efficient tools suited for their treacherous journey. Chanyeol charged ahead, holding Baekhyun’s hand in a firm grip. The latter gave the larger hand a reassuring squeeze, giving him permission to let go and promising he would be okay to stand back.

 

Chanyeol was hesitant to leave Baekhyun alone with the stranger but reluctantly agreed after Jongdae and Minseok returned. With threats from all three of them if the stranger laid a single hand on Baekhyun, they disappeared to browse between the various shelves of weapons.

 

The stranger activated the safety lock on his gun and set it aside before speaking, “Geez, they’re really protective of you.”

 

Baekhyun smiled and joked, “ One of the many benefits of being pregnant in an apocalypse. Although Chanyeol’s always been the jealous overprotective type.” 

 

“Oh, so his name isn’t Yoda.” The guy said so seriously Baekhyun thought it inappropriate to laugh, but he did anyway. 

 

“I’m Baekhyun,” He said once his laughter died down.

 

“Kyungsoo.”

 

Of course Baekhyun had a million questions of his own. He wondered how this stranger-  _ Kyungsoo _ \- had managed to survive up until now. He wondered if he could offer more valuable insight into the origins of the virus or the key to ending the nightmare. He wanted to know how Kyungsoo had ended up at the army base and what future he envisioned for himself when everything was all said and done.

 

If they had more time, Baekhyun would ask all of those questions and more. Aware that the brevity of human life loomed closer than before, Baekhyun only managed to ask, “Are you alone?”

 

Kyungsoo shook his head. “My best friend Jongin and I have been on this base since the outbreak.”

 

“Have you thought about leaving?”

 

Kyungsoo shrugged and looked down at the floor sadly. “Jongin lost his niece and nephew to the virus. He’s not in the right emotional state to leave. And besides, where would we go?”

 

Baekhyun looked down at his belly, speechless for a long moment, as if he needed to constantly be reminded of all the innocent lives that had been taken. Was it wrong of him to feel guilty that he and Chanyeol were soon to gain what everyone had lost?

 

“Minseok and Jongdae didn’t have anywhere to go either. They agreed to tag along because they wanted to help us find a doctor.”

 

Kyungsoo nodded in understanding. “How far along are you?”

 

“I don’t know exactly. Sometime in my third trimester.”

 

“Then you don’t have much time.” Kyungsoo stated bluntly.

 

Baekhyun chuckled without humor. “We don’t have much time at all.”

 

Kyungsoo sighed, “I would help you if I could but-”

 

“It’s not your obligation and your friend isn’t in any state to travel.”

 

Kyungsoo nodded somberly at the same time Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Minseok reappeared. The three men were loaded down with more heavy duty and destructive weapons in preparation for the profoundest hell they would expectedly venture into. 

 

All in the span of his short conversation with Baekhyun, the urge to fulfill an unspoken request lurked persistently. If Kyungsoo couldn’t offer them additional protection when they would need it the most, the least he could do was offer meager assistance.

 

“If you’re planning on staying the night, I can take you to the closest barracks. It’s only a short walk from here.”

 

“Fine.” Chanyeol responded curtly, lest he forget Kyungsoo was the one who’d threatened him with a gun minutes prior.

 

Once the armory was re locked and secured to meet Kyungsoo’s requirements, the walk to the barracks was shorter than expected. Yet the short trek encompassed enough diversionary paths for them to realize he’d done them a favor by leading them.

 

“The windows and doors are bulletproof and zombie proof. You’ll be safe here for as long as you stay.”

 

The building itself was nothing fancy, just a four story brick dwelling bearing close resemblance to college dormitories. All anyone could really hope for were a couple mattresses to call their own and a satisfying meal to remind them they’d lived to see another day.

 

“The 1st floor is the most convenient,” Kyungsoo said as he handed out the keys he’d just retrieved from the receptionist desk. He then nodded towards a dark hallway, leading to an undisclosed portion of the barracks. “Your apartment units are that way. I need to go check on Jongin.”

 

He turned on his heel in the opposite direction at the same time Baekhyun thrust his key into Chanyeol’s unsuspecting hands. Baekhyun directed his attention to the retreating man’s figure, not yet ready to bid farewell. 

 

“Can I come with you?”

 

Kyungsoo paused, listening to the disapproving tone that spoke over Baekhyun’s curious one.

 

“Baekhyun, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just come with us instead.”

 

“Chanyeol, it’ll be fine. Just go to the unit and get some rest.”

 

“How can I rest without you in my arms?” 

 

“Wait up for me, then. I promise I won’t be long.”

 

A fake gagging sound followed the unmistakable sound of one pair of lips connecting with another.

 

“While you guys deal with your separation anxiety, we’re going to our room,” A loud voice Kyungsoo was sure belonged to Jongdae spoke.

 

“We’ll see you in the morning.” A softer voice added, the unmistakable lilt of poorly contained laughter punctuated his statement.  

 

Kyungsoo swallowed thickly, the playful banter of friends stirring up painfully concealed emotions. There wasn’t much in the world he wouldn’t do to be able to joke around with Jongin again. Except admit he was hurting as much as the fractured human he still called his best friend. 

 

Three pairs of footsteps receded down the hallway at the same time one pair advanced towards him. A light hand rested on his shoulder seconds later.

 

“Is it alright if I come with you?”

 

Kyungsoo agreed, having no reason not to.

 

He led Baekhyun down the opposite hall, the sound of footsteps echoing in the silence. It wasn’t long before Baekhyun spoke again. Whether out of genuine curiosity or just to fill the dead silence, Kyungsoo couldn’t discern. 

 

“If your friend has been here, why were you at the armory?”

 

Kyungsoo suddenly stopped in front of a numbered door, sending a heavy-hearted smile in Baekhyun’s direction before unlocking it. “Sometimes I need a break from being a caregiver.”

 

The door’s opening gave way to a modest sized apartment unit sparsely furnished. The curtains were drawn and the only light came from a single lit candle perched precariously in the center of a bland kitchen. 

 

Kyungsoo strode purposefully towards an unremarkable couch at the heart of the simplistic floor plan. He reached a sure hand, shaking the life into something- some _ one _ \- Baekhyun couldn’t see.

 

“Jongin, get up,” He said, as if reciting memorized words from uninspiring text.

 

A dissatisfied groan resonated strongly enough to counter Kyungsoo’s request. Jongin didn’t budge.

 

“I brought…” Kyungsoo paused before tossing a fleeting glance in Baekhyun’s direction. He struggled to find the appropriate words to describe who Baekhyun was and what purpose he served by being there. “Company. Someone who wants to see you.”

 

Jongin didn’t respond and Kyungsoo merely sighed. Knowing he had more important matters to attend to, Kyungsoo entered the kitchen and disappeared behind the food pantry door. He spoke over his shoulder to Baekhyun, who hadn’t moved from the spot he’d initially occupied.

 

“You can go talk to him if you want. I can’t promise he’ll listen.”

 

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment, unsure of why he’d insisted on getting involved in the first place. He had enough problems of his own to serve as adequate reasoning not to address someone else’s despair. All he could think to do was apologize. To offer the only thing he could give to Jongin.  _ I’m sorry you lost your niece and nephew and I’m sorry I can’t do anything about it. _

 

He walked forward tentatively, feeling like nothing short of an intruder in their sanctuary. He was treated as such, with Jongin turning his back on him in disdain before they’d officially met.

 

Since there was no other place to sit but the currently occupied couch, Baekhyun stood. He spoke to the large blanket covered lump, wondering if there was a chance in hell to get through to him.

 

“Um, hi, Jongin. I’m Baekhyun.” No response, of course. Baekhyun sighed. “Listen, I know you’ve been through a lot. We all have. And you’ve lost something precious that can never be replaced.”

 

Once he began to speak, the words flowed of their own accord. A desperate message to a broken human he was destined to convey. 

 

“But love is eternal, Jongin. And the love you have for your family will radiate in your heart forever. Love is the foundation for life, the only thing powerful enough to nullify death, and the only thing that can sustain and create.”

 

Baekhyun placed both hands on his belly and took an extra moment to feel his life and the life of his child coalesce.

 

“And love will continue to nurture transcendent miracles, long after humanity has been lost.”

 

The weight of his words lingered heavily in the air, providing a strong substructure for the validation of raw emotion. 

 

When Jongin finally spoke, his tone was accusatory, demanding more than validation.

 

“Destruction can't pave the way for creation. Peace can't arise from chaos.”

 

“You're wrong.” Baekhyun spoke to the rigid back presented to him. “Open your eyes and see for yourself.”

 

It would be easy to keep looking away, just as it was easy to turn his back on a stranger. To be curious would mean that a part of him did contemplate the probable accuracy of spoken words. To turn around would mean that he wanted to believe there was more left in their world that hadn’t been stolen or demolished.

 

He turned around ever so slowly,  _ wanting _ to believe more than anything.

 

He was honored to meet the friendly gaze of a survivor radiant with life, hope, promise, and everything Jongin had given up searching for. Baekhyun held Jongin’s gaze steadily before directing his attention to the large swell of his belly. His look of determination transformed into a look of adoration and affection. His eyes sparkled with such tenderness towards his beloved child. 

 

“Congratulations.” Jongin’s voice broke slightly.

 

Baekhyun smiled warmly. His gaze remained fixated on his belly but Jongin knew the next words he spoke were intended to inspire.

 

“Up until now we’ve been searching for something that may no longer exist. But I’m starting to think our only purpose is to create a safe world for our child to grow up in.”

 

“How are you going to do that?”

 

Baekhyun chuckled lightly. “I have no idea. The only thing I’m fairly certain of is that we won’t be able to do it alone.”

 

Jongin nodded slowly, whether in agreement or other unknown specifications Baekhyun was unsure. The former opened his mouth to respond before shutting it tightly without a single sound escaping. Silence could mean nothing more than contemplation and Baekhyun knew Jongin had to reach his own conclusions. There was nothing left to be said or heard.

 

His farewell to Jongin was nothing more than a short nod and a quick wave. A hint of feasibility in his eyes marked Jongin’s silent response. A response worth a thousand words.

 

_ Maybe I’ll see you around.  _

 

Baekhyun exited their apartment unit without making a sound. 

 

_ Maybe you will. _

 

**

 

Their first night at the army base signified the first rays of moonlight brilliant enough to lift the existential despair and consequent despondency. As Baekhyun looked out across the base, lit wholly by a luminescent full moon, he felt the haze of uncertainty deteriorating. He could see things more clearly for the first time since the outbreak. 

 

When he turned around to face his husband, the moon remained a constant desirable backdrop. 

 

“I think we’re making a big mistake.”

 

“What do you mean?” He seemed taken aback for lack of a better phrase. 

 

After they’d managed to scrounge up a decent dinner, change into fresh clothes after cleaning up, and anticipate sharing and sleeping in a bed for the first time in a long time, Baekhyun felt guilty to be the one to realign their set determination.

 

“We’ve been too quick to accept this world as our own. We haven’t taken initiative like we should have.”

 

Chanyeol put a tired hand over his face. “I don’t understand.”

 

Baekhyun sat on the bed next to his spouse and rested his head on the taller’s shoulder. He spoke with patience and sincerity, wanting Chanyeol to understand just as much as needing him to.

 

“I didn’t talk to Jongin very long but he helped me realize something I hadn’t before. He’s not the only one who’s resigned himself to suffer from the aftermaths of this perilous world.” He looked down at his belly for just a moment, realizing with greater clarity that it had recently become the center of everyone’s attention.

 

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that we all want to make it to the end. But we’ve resigned ourselves to fate and destiny, allowing destruction to integrate itself so seamlessly within our lives. If we wind up going to Seoul, we’ll be walking into the arms of the enemy and the heart of destruction.”

 

Chanyeol sighed but could find no reasoning strong enough to deny or undermine the validity of Baekhyun’s thoughtful reverie. They’d been unafraid to dream and wish but too afraid to admit their hope was dwindling. Once they got to Seoul, it would only be a matter of time before they perished with empty promises to their child lingering in the air. 

 

Destiny and destruction were two sides on the same coin. To accept destiny was to promote destruction. 

 

“I'm not ready to give up.” Chanyeol shook his head adamantly and elicited a weary smile from his older spouse.

 

“We don't have to give up. We just need a better reason to keep going.”

 

Their child was the embodiment of creation, to have its family succumb to destruction would be inexplicable.

 

Chanyeol rested a soothing hand on Baekhyun’s belly, communicating an unspoken promise to their child to create their own destinies and construct a safe place where the three of them could live happily for as long as they desired. A place where dreams amounted to more than intangible fantasies. 

 

“We’re going to find a way out of this.” Chanyeol spoke with sure words.

 

Baekhyun nodded in agreement, “We’ll create something infinitely better than what we’ll leave behind.”

 

The technicalities behind the hows, wheres, and whens were still left to be desired although the purpose was clear. They would keep journeying ahead until they found a way out and if they couldn’t find a way in time, they would create one.

 

Inspired by newfound fearlessness and resourcefulness, Chanyeol leaned forward to connect his lips to his spouse’s passionately. Baekhyun kissed back, pulling away only to inquire, “Will you promise me something?”

 

“Anything.”

 

“Promise me that no matter what happens, we won’t stop until our child is safe.”

 

“I promise.”

 

The manifestation of affection and intimacy lingered in their next kiss, evoked by mutual trust, understanding, and compassion.

 

No longer fearful of the uncertainties of tomorrow, Baekhyun found a comfortable place on the floor with ease. He situated himself between Chanyeol’s legs, resting a consolatory head on the inside of his spouse’s thigh.

 

“I know we still have tomorrow to look forward to. But let’s make this night last forever.”

 

Nothing more than a gratifying groan was heard above as Baekhyun enveloped Chanyeol’s member into the heat of his mouth. The younger intertwined sure fingers into Baekhyun’s hair, vowing wordlessly to anticipate tomorrow as powerfully as he relished today.

 

Once the opportunity presented itself, Chanyeol carefully laid Baekhyun upon the bed. He removed his spouse’s clothes slowly and deliberately, setting aside ample time to admire the gorgeous man before him. Chanyeol was honored to be given the opportunity to caress, kiss, and hold someone so exquisite in the midst of an atrocious world. 

 

It was infinitely different than the last time, once Chanyeol entered Baekhyun, neither afraid their defenseless moment would mark their last. They kissed and made love like never before, inspired by the mutual realization that beauty remained imminently precious. 

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Those four important words from Baekhyun provided a sense of stability reassuring enough to allow Chanyeol to fall victim to his heavy eyelids. Baekhyun eventually fell prey to the persuasive hands of sleep as well, only after planting a chaste kiss on his younger spouse’s forehead.

 

An unspecified amount of time later, the sound of knocking roused Baekhyun from a restful slumber. He sat up in bed, noticing with fondness that Chanyeol still slept soundly. Although not incessantly, the knocks continued until Baekhyun was dressed and exiting the bedroom. He passed by their compact kitchen and underwhelming living room to reveal the person who sought for his attention. 

 

“Jongin?”

 

The man he’d met only the night prior, stood before Baekhyun bashfully. His eyes found great interest in the ground beneath their feet.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

He spoke softly, eyes never leaving the floor. “I thought about what you said last night.”

 

A long pause in response prompted Jongin to slowly meet Baekhyun’s gaze. A gentle smile encouraged him to keep speaking.

 

“I’m tired of doing nothing, Baekhyun. If there really is a safe world out there, a better world, then I want to see it too.”

 

Baekhyun nodded but remained silent. Jongin being courageous enough to stand in front of him after their most recent encounter meant something important needed to be said. Because Baekhyun knew he might never understand the extent of Jongin’s internal struggles nor the amount of effort it took to overcome them, he didn’t dare interrupt. 

 

“I couldn’t protect my own family and I’ve let the guilt tear me apart every day since.” He punctuated his own statement with a chastising shake of his head. His gaze faltered as his eyes filled with tears. “You’re going to think I only want to help to clear my conscience.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head firmly, finding no merit to Jongin’s reprimand or disappointment. “You don’t need to answer to anyone but yourself. If you want to help us, it’s fine. You have your own reasons and we’ll respect them without question.”

 

The bashful gaze reappeared, fixating surely on the prominent swell of Baekhyun’s belly. 

 

“Do you want to touch it?”

 

His eyes widened in surprise before he nodded his head profusely. Baekhyun chuckled, amused to witness a near stranger find much enjoyment in rubbing his belly.

 

“It’s gotten more active lately. I think it’s starting to get restless.” He admitted truthfully, knowing that the topic of labor and delivery could no longer be substantially averted. Discovery of a safe place to raise their baby  _ before  _ he gave birth seemed too far fetched to warrant genuine consideration.

 

“Do you have a plan for…” Jongin trailed off, accurate in avoidance of a sensitive topic. 

 

“For when I go into labor? The plan is to stay alive and hope no one has to die for me and the baby to live.”

 

The following silence was only lifted by Chanyeol awakening to remind Baekhyun they needed to get going as soon as possible. Fully prepared to give Jongin a brief and temporary farewell, Baekhyun was slightly disappointed but not surprised to find he had already disappeared. It was clear to all involved that time was the only phenomenon that could lift the guilt that plagued Jongin’s heart and soul.

 

Their newest and youngest comrade was reseen a little while later, diligently and efficiently packing more supplies into their nearly packed car. He looked up when he felt the presence of another, an explanation escaping his mouth in a rush.

 

“I packed some extra blankets, water, and clothes for when you need them.”

 

Baekhyun gave Jongin a gentle appreciative pat, hoping they would find themselves in a luxurious enough position to use the supplies when the time came. 

 

Mid-morning marked the reunification of the entire traveling party and saw Kyungsoo testing the weight of a terrifying assault rifle.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Chanyeol questioned defensively.

 

Kyungsoo smiled in amusement. “I’m coming with you.”

 

Chanyeol scoffed but couldn’t disapprove. The larger their party, the safer they could keep Baekhyun and the baby. “Just don’t point that thing at me.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m only here to support Jongin and help Baekhyun.”

 

It was plain to see Kyungsoo would do just about anything for Jongin, serving as the only reason he needed to accompany his best friend to wherever it was he wanted to go. If the trip would help Jongin with his emotional recovery, if it would make him happy, Kyungsoo wanted to reinforce and share in the joy. Besides, staying at the army base  _ had _ gotten rather dull and boring.

 

After they’d managed to fill the car with gas in preparation for its continuing journey, Minseok spoke from behind the wheel. “It’s only a few hours to Seoul. We’ll get there in no time.”

 

Baekhyun had first revealed the adjustment in plans and his preceding change of heart to Jongin and then to Chanyeol. Kyungsoo had been fortunate to find himself at the right place at the right time, exposed to the useful information indirectly. Minseok and Jongdae had been left uninformed, the only ones oblivious to a fault.

 

Their journey away from the army base warranted a justification for the plan that no longer remained, a thorough explanation for their sought after paradise they knew existed but had no idea how to find. 

 

Minseok gave a short comprehensible nod following the explanatory conclusion. “We drive until we can’t drive anymore.”

 

Their forward journey to nowhere and somewhere carried over the course of several days. It was anticipated to lose count of how many times the sun rose and fell, how many times they stopped at abandoned towns to refuel and restock food. 

 

Their grueling trip paved the way for more than comradery, finding them all huddled together at night for warmth, safety, and reassurance. They shared in the joys of their pasts, despairs of their present, and the promises of their futures.

 

The utmost despair of their present descended upon them one late afternoon when the sun had almost completed its daily disappearance below the horizon. The sky was hued with blood red pigmentation when Jongdae showed concern for his heavily pregnant friend.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Baekhyun shifted uncomfortably in his seat in response. Despite the frequency at which they stopped for breaks, he still grew more restless whenever his baby grew more active. 

 

“Nothing. The baby just won’t settle down.”

 

“We can stop again. No big deal.” Jongdae spoke before relaying the message to the current driver. 

 

Moments later, the car eased to a halt on yet another deserted highway. According to the roadway signs ahead, the drive to the nearest town would be a short one, likely providing a place of hostel for the night. Under any other circumstances, Baekhyun would be insistent upon completing the drive to town before stopping. But since the six of them had spent enough time together as of late to discern one’s deceitful statement from a truthful statement, Baekhyun remained silent. 

 

A short stroll along the highway should have sufficed to lull their unborn baby back to sleep, its origins of awakening unbeknownst to its soon-to-be parents. Chanyeol put his hand on Baekhyun’s belly in an effort to gauge just how restless their child was. His palm was met with incessant kicks from tiny feet.

 

Fifteen minutes of walking and soothing belly rubs later, their child refused to settle, prompting Chanyeol to say, “Let’s just go back to the car. We can head to the next town and try to get some rest there.”

 

“Yeah. That sounds good.”

 

On the way back to the car, with Baekhyun’s hand in Chanyeol’s, he felt the taller tense unexpectedly. A fleeting second passed before an eerie tingling sensation caused the hairs on the back of Baekhyun’s neck to stand on end. He and Chanyeol froze simultaneously, exhaling only after carefully held breaths. 

 

Baekhyun turned his head first, Chanyeol following his lead hesitantly. Far in the distance, back towards the horizon, revealed an ominous creature. The zombie bore near identical resemblance to the ones they’d faced many times before. Yet the atmosphere around the couple was electrified with menacing and diabolical energy. Something was  _ off _ , for lack of a better word, and it wasn’t until the creature broke into a sprint that they realized…

 

Chanyeol rushed Baekhyun into the car, alerting their comrades to something truly amiss. Minseok drove maniacally per Chanyeol’s insistent request, hoping to lose the sprinting zombie somewhere down the road.

 

“W-why is it running so fast?” Jongin questioned, sheer terror weighing heavily in his voice.

 

From his place in the third row of seats, he had the broadest viewpoint of the impending danger and everyone’s reactions to it. Minseok’s grim expression found his jaw set firmly and his eyes narrowed resentfully. Jongdae and Chanyeol both wore looks of panic, their eyes skirting the highway and surrounding scenery frantically. In direct opposition to the rest, Baekhyun sat frozen, staring off into space with an unreadable expression.

 

“Guys, clearly something terrible is happening. Could you please tell us what’s going on so we know how scared we should be?”

 

Baekhyun blinked a few times, before wrapping his arms protectively around his belly. The answers to Kyungsoo and Jongin’s questions were long overdue and he couldn’t hide the apologetic lilt that bled into his tone of voice. Maybe if he’d told them earlier, they wouldn’t have willingly fallen for a trap that wasn’t meant for them 

 

“My baby is too pure and innocent for this world. They can sense it now and they’ll stop at nothing to kill it.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Jongin questioned, shocked but not upset. 

 

“Would it have made a difference?”

 

Jongin’s response was unrecoverable in a tense moment of distress. More than one creature had resurfaced from the blackest pit of hell to fulfill the obligation of dragging Baekhyun and his baby to their underworld. The soldiers of the undead burned with rage, their penchant for eradication lighting a fire in their tainted souls.

 

Determined to see their tribulation through to the end, Minseok managed to orchestrate their escape by outdriving the zombies that pursued them. The hands of time quickly proved his efforts in vain, revealing a small provincial town crawling with them. They charged towards the invasive car not a moment later, bared teeth and outstretched arms a hair’s breadth away from the ultimate kill.

 

The sputtering and rattling of the car’s engine could barely be heard over the collective hypothetical shattering of six hearts. Their only means of escape ground to a shaking halt in the span of a single heart stopping minute. 

 

“The engine’s dead.” Minseok admitted dejectedly. Stuck in the middle of an infectious town and trapped in their metal cage as the recipients of exacting vengeance left them with few choices. In desperate need of a single forthright person to light a fire under their asses, they didn’t stand a chance to survive.

 

Had it not been for the outward reach of a friend, they would have met their unquestionable fate on an unorthodox battleground. 

 

A comforting hand not belonging to his husband slid into Baekhyun’s own. Along with it came confident words arisen from a progressive friendship. “No, it wouldn’t have made a difference. Baekhyun, you and Chanyeol need to protect your baby no matter what. You need to run.”

 

Jongin’s certain tone was of utmost reassurance to Baekhyun. It was a promise to Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and their child that somehow, they would make it. They would be alright. 

 

While Chanyeol and the others hastily collected whatever weapon(s) they could scrounge, Baekhyun hesitated for a single moment. 

 

“What about you guys?”

 

Jongdae answered first, clicking the safety off an assault rifle in preparation. The corners of his mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, “We’ll be right behind you.”

 

There wasn’t enough time to think once the car doors were thrown open, creating a breach in their temporary place of safety. The horde of zombies swarmed them at once, blocking any and every escape path they could have possibly taken. 

 

Driven by commitment and motivation ensuring the safety of his family, Chanyeol managed to defeat enough zombies to open a small pathway. Once the coast was clear, he grabbed Baekhyun’s hand. Not unlike the night of their wedding, they ran ahead with heavy hearts.  Unsure of what they were running towards but painfully aware of what they were running from, they pushed ahead with every ounce of strength they could summon. 

 

Overwhelmed by similar emotions that plagued him in the past, Baekhyun chanced a look back. The aftermath of destruction remained unchangeable. Yet the allies for humanity that had been absent before unabashedly fought for the greater good. 

 

As long as Baekhyun and Chanyeol ran, their comrades followed closely behind, silently praying they would be led to a place of tranquility and serenity. Their unrelenting pursuit was undermined only by a stumble in Baekhyun’s running gait.

 

The pregnant man was promptly stabilized by his husband’s steady arms. 

 

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Chanyeol asked once it became clear Baekhyun couldn’t match the speed nor intensity of his previous sprint. 

 

The sheen of sweat on his forehead and the tension between his brows indicated a situation more dire than anyone was prepared for. He squeezed Chanyeol’s hand tightly, conveying an emotion more debilitating than fear.  _ Pain _ .

 

“I think the baby’s coming.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes grew comically in size, his own gait staggering in astonishment before leveling once more. To let the expectations of filling his role as a soon-to-be father overtake him would be to devalue the lives of Baekhyun and their baby. It went without saying, while Chanyeol dutifully fulfilled his role as motivator and protector, that he valued their lives more than anything. 

 

“I know it hurts, Baekhyun, but we  _ have _ to keep running. I promise I’ll find a safe place for you to give birth. Just hold on.”

 

Baekhyun could only nod, the agony from his contraction prevented him from doing little more. He kept his watery gaze straight ahead, knowing that if he looked back again and saw the prophecy of their demise, it would be too effortless to surrender.

 

The ragged breaths of his comrades intermingled with his own while the vicious snarls of his enemies reverberated in his skull. Any place of refuge they longed to seek would prove defenseless against the capacity of the opponents.

 

A sudden sharp tug on Baekhyun’s hand and the resulting change in direction unleashed a state of confusion among the fleeing party. Although immeasurably bleak, their chances had not yet reached absolute depletion. And Chanyeol happened to be the sole witness of a fleeting opportunity. 

 

The scattered fragments of possibility- characterized by a 12 foot tall chain link fence- could only be recovered on the outskirts of town. A vast open space could be seen just through the interconnected metal links, bounded by tarmac below and the night sky above. 

 

“Why are we at an airport tarmac?” Jongin questioned, utterly dumbfounded. 

 

“Because they can’t climb.” Chanyeol answered on a sharp exhale. He shifted a nervous glance behind, gauging the distance between themselves and the monsters. They had time, he concluded, but not enough.

 

Burdened by debilitating exhaustion and the demands of nature, Baekhyun fell to his knees. His contractions were increasing in frequency and duration, proving troublesome for continued exertion. 

 

More than a single outstretched hand was willing to lend support to their fallen comrade. More than a single voice spoke words of encouragement to the weary man. And more than a single person provided the motivation he needed to stand strong once again. 

 

Kyungsoo sent a selfless smile in Baekhyun’s direction. “You and Chanyeol climb the fence first. We’ll hold them off.”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts,” Jongdae interjected, aiming his gun at the closest and most threatening creatures, “We’re used to saving your ass by now.”

 

The amount of monstrous pursuers had roughly quadrupled since the chase commenced, undoubtedly lowering their chances of successful defense. Given their precarious position, they could only buy the couple limited time.

 

A familiar deep voice brought Baekhyun’s focus to the task at hand. “I’m going to climb the fence first. Jongin’s going to help you on this side and I’ll be able to help you from the other side. Okay?”

 

The three men on the forefront were outnumbered by dozens of vindictive zombies, a plight that couldn’t go unnoticed by Baekhyun or Chanyeol. As unnerving as the situation was, they knew they didn’t have the alleviation of choice, the power to make things bearable for everyone, or the ability to revoke anyone’s sacrifices.

 

With no more time to waste, Chanyeol began scaling the fence with the speed and agility of someone who had everything to lose. Baekhyun initiated his own ascent on the threshold of a silent promise. A promise to express proper gratitude to his allies if ever given the chance.

 

The further he clamored above ground, the more his ability to conceptualize the proximity of  impending danger weakened. He felt the presence of Jongin- who was willing to remedy a potential misstep- at the base of the fence and saw the outstretched arms of his anticipative lover ready to welcome him to safety on the other side. Yet neglected flaws in configuration precipitated risky and unforeseen consequences. 

 

“Jongin, look out!” A sudden and unexplained shout coincided with the onset of a severe contraction.

 

“Baekhyun, keep climbing.” Chanyeol encouraged, despite the obscure and chaotic situation occurring just beyond Baekhyun’s line of sight.

 

He nodded in response. Intending to make good on his unspoken word, he gritted his teeth and successfully plowed through the first waves of pain. Consequently, the next surges of the contraction were accompanied by a sharp twinge in his lower back, impairing his ability to steady his lower body as he advanced upward.

 

He lost his balance in the span of one heartstopping moment, initiating a ripple effect of terror as he plummeted towards the ground. Five different shouts of panic blended into one unintelligible noise, long after he’d succeeded in re-grasping the chain links and pulling his body back against the fence.

 

He panted from overexertion and pain, simultaneously attempting to uncover the source of everyone’s anguish despite the constraints of his immense blind side. Only after acknowledging the now sizeable distance from the surface of the fence did he fall victim to a stab of teeth embedding in his calf.

 

The burn of active poison was instantaneous, eliciting a strangled cry from his parched throat. It took nearly every morsel of resilience to free himself from the viselike grip of his enemy, circumstantially revealing the misfortune that had befallen them all. 

 

The entire area had been overrun by zombies, overthrowing Jongin from his baseline position and presenting an unconquerable force to the other three survivors. Yet the creature who’d breached their impromptu wall of security and nearly succeeded in destroying the single epitome of life was impaired by its own shortcomings, allowing Baekhyun to make his absolute and final escape.

 

Despite the searing pain in his calf, he managed to scramble back towards the surface and out of harm’s capable reach. He left the oppressive air of vengeance behind and persevered towards the reliability of steadfast safety.

 

Like something out of a cherished dream, he found himself sailing serenely into the arms of his husband. A glistening trail of tears blended with his own, carrying the everlasting weight of a thousand promises. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Baekhyun. I should have-”

 

Baekhyun cut him off with a firm shake of his head. There was only a single duty left to be fulfilled, rendering the consequences of berating past actions useless. 

 

“Do you remember what you promised me before?”

 

Chanyeol nodded, simultaneously bringing up a hand to wipe away stubborn tears. “I promised that we wouldn’t stop until our child was safe.”

 

Baekhyun smiled sorrowfully. “I need to deliver our baby before the virus spreads.”

 

“Baek-”

 

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun reached up to caress Chanyeol’s cheek. The taller leaned into the touch, “Our baby’s going to need you. You’ll be a great father.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Chanyeol held Baekhyun tightly, too afraid to let go, as he searched for the crucial answer to their most fundamental question.  _ How could they find a place on Earth safe enough to raise their child _ ?

 

The reunification of their distraught friends made the situation more desperate, forcing Chanyeol to make quick decisions despite struggling with his own emotional distress.

 

“See if there's a way to get on any of these planes.”

 

Minseok spoke for them all, “Chanyeol, I don't think-”

 

“Please, just do it.”

 

Without any apparent way to open a heavy airtight door or break through tough layered windows, Chanyeol knew the likelihood of finding an easy entrance onto a deserted plane was infinitesimal. As miniscule as the chances of Baekhyun holding onto his humanity against the progression of time. But his choices were finite and his time to fulfill his promise was dwindling. 

 

Minseok gave a solemn nod, acknowledging his continual involvement in the present devastation.

 

Only after the four of them departed the heartbreaking scene did Baekhyun fully acknowledge the hindrances of his mortality and the effects of the virus.

 

“I can’t feel my leg.”

 

Chanyeol responded only with a kiss to his spouse’s forehead, feeling a scorching feverish heat emanate from a weakening body. 

 

The forward hands of time put up a tough fight, inflicting invisible wounds upon its human targets. In the aftermath of the war, unseen scars would remain potent symbols of purposefulness and persistence, subsequent only to sought after desire. Their fulfillment of desire,  _ their beacon of hope _ , manifested from the pacifying shout of a trusted ally.

 

“Baekhyun, Chanyeol, come here! I think we’ve finally found what we’ve been looking for!”

 

Peace, liberation, or safety. What could single handedly be the most useful of intangible assets? Chanyeol pondered the likelihood of the outcome as he carried Baekhyun towards the direction of triumphant exclamations.

 

His curiosity, underlined with hints of skepticism, led them towards the center of the tarmac and away from their fenced barricade. A mid sized charter jet loomed before him, increasing their survival odds indeterminately. The clamshell style door of the aircraft had been opened, revealing an indisputable entrance to its interior.

 

“How did you find a way-”

 

Chanyeol’s astonishment was belittled by a firm forward shove and a sharp hiss from Kyungsoo, “Get Baekhyun inside!”

 

From his place in Chanyeol’s arms, Baekhyun valiantly battled the dark repression of disorientation and unconsciousness. His recognition of reality was solely sustained by the relentless efforts of his soon-to-be-born child. He was carried up the stairs and inside the craft in a rush, his situational comprehension severely delayed.

 

An intermingle of urgent voices found him placed upon a converted divan bed whilst a hazy glimpse revealed three people rummaging throughout the luxury jet. Two recognizable men and one unrecognizable savior.

 

A trembling kiss to his forehead preceded a transformational revelation moments later. “He’s a doctor, Baek! He’s been living on this jet for a while now. He said he’s been hoping to reunite with other survivors to leave this country for good.”

 

Baekhyun managed a weak smile, his head lolling to one side of the bed on its own free will. “Good. We can finally get out of this hellhole.”

 

Chanyeol laughed heartily, grasping Baekhyun’s hand tightly in his own. He placed a gentle kiss on the back, his tears staining the clammy pale skin. “Only if Minseok, Jongdae, and Kyungsoo can figure out a way to fly this thing.”

 

Baekhyun nodded slowly, comprehension worsening as the seconds passed. “What about Jongin?”

 

“He’s helping Yixing.”

 

_ Yixing _ . 

 

So that was the name of the angel in disguise, the last figurative stroke of a taxing yet conceptually dimensional painting. 

 

After important preparations for the birth had been diligently handled, Yixing occupied his dutiful place at the edge of the bed. “Baekhyun, I’m going to need you to push through your next contraction.” A simple yet foretelling request.

 

“O...kay,” Baekhyun responded, his motor skills blatantly atrophied from the aftereffects of the  ruthless virus.

 

Before the fruits of their labor could materialize into fruition, Baekhyun needed to convey a valuable message to the only justifiable receiver. “Chanyeol.”

 

A reassuring squeeze was felt before a voice spoke, “I’m right here, baby. What do you need?”

 

“If I become...one of them, I want you to kill me.”

 

“...Okay.” Chanyeol responded, the magnitude of his heartbreaking despair weighing heavily in a single word.

 

Baekhyun reached an unsteady hand outward, inviting Chanyeol to share one last heartwarmingly uplifting kiss. The absolute connection of delicate lips designated the resolution of one journey whilst the lingering caress symbolized the initiation of another.

 

Only after they pulled away did Chanyeol bow his solemn head. The perceptual completion of his next journey without Baekhyun evoked a strangled wracking sob.

 

Baekhyun’s imperative desire to comfort was exceeded by the undeniable expectations of their baby. He vehemently pushed through his proceeding contraction, motivated by the reassurance of a better future for their child.

 

Chanyeol quickly wiped away his own tears- duly motivated by the prospect of revolutionary change- and whispered encouraging words to the bearer of his child. Their hearts beat synchronously, sharing in the yearning sentiments of wanting to meet their beautiful baby. 

 

Baekhyun could only hope, as he gave one last intense push, that the personification of his humanity would live on in their child forever.

 

The resonant cry of a healthy newborn brought inspiration and jubilation to all who were lucky to hear. Tears were shed at the birth of a miracle so extraordinary that seemingly nothing was capable of corresponding with its infinite transcendence.

 

“It’s a girl.” Yixing’s voice adopted a gentle tone of empathy, acknowledging his involvement in a bittersweet situation. 

 

Their tiny newly born daughter, wrapped only in a small blanket, was first held lovingly against her mother’s chest. Baekhyun kissed her forehead, chuckling instinctively a few moments later.

 

“What’s so funny?” Chanyeol smiled through emotional tears.

 

“She doesn’t have any clothes or diapers. And she needs a bath.” He punctuated his statement with a gentle tug on one of her greasy dark colored strands.

 

Chanyeol chuckled as well since the alternative of sobbing was currently too painful to bear. “She’s perfect, Baekhyun.”

 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun’s smile was radiant, “She is.”

 

He lovingly studied her features and characteristics for as long as he could, subsequently aspiring to appreciate perfection in all its glory. His eyes strayed for only a moment while he searched for the answer to a rather intriguing question.  _ What should we name her? _

 

Outside the plane’s window, the ethereal silver rays of moonlight caught Baekhyun’s wandering gaze. The resulting glint in his watery eyes spoke louder than words; she deserved to be named after something as beautiful as she.

 

“Luna. Park...Luna.” He breathed just before succumbing to the raging war tearing him apart from the inside out. 

Whilst straddling the fine line between consciousness and unconsciousness, Baekhyun felt as well as heard the telltale signs of an engine roaring to life. He heard Chanyeol’s laugh seemingly materialize from a neverending distance away.

 

“If we manage to survive this plane ride, the first thing I’ll do is find diapers and clothes for our Luna.”

 

Baekhyun wanted to believe his ability to reciprocate would somehow be preserved; he longed to respond with a smile, a laugh, or even a humorous statement of his own. But the virus rendered him immobile, frozen in a perpetual state of shock. The sole sufferer of a personal battle was permitted only to listen, listen and slip further away from physical reality.

 

Chanyeol continued once it became clear Baekhyun was no longer able to, “I’ll rock her in my arms every time she cries and kiss away every bad dream. I’ll search the universe to give her anything she needs. I promise to raise her well and love her enough for the both of us.”

 

Beautiful words inspired beautiful dreams. As he made his final descent into the pit of darkness, his dreams were the most beautiful of all. 


	4. Epilogue

**(2 years later)**

 

His sparkling eyes, his adorable button nose, and his refreshingly beautiful smile, she was the embodiment of every treasured characteristic. The sole representation of the man he loved and dearly missed.

 

“Daddy.” Luna held out a delicate yellow flower, unique to the soils of their domestic territory.

 

Chanyeol received the gift with gratitude, crouching down to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Thank you. Let’s pick one for mommy too.”

 

She smiled brightly in response, revealing one of two important characteristics that visibly linked her to her father. A prominent dimple surfaced on her left cheek, apparent only in times of joy and laughter.

 

Her resulting trek back into the field of flowers offered a window of opportunity for Chanyeol to reflect on days past. 

 

Shortly after Luna had been born, the turning point in their continuing journey manifested itself in an unprecedented manner; a disorderly arrival upon chartered land definitively marking the uncovery of a new world.

 

A new world later identified as a beautiful remote county situated in an autonomous region of China. Nestled in the lower reach of a tranquil river, bounded by lofty mountain peaks and coniferous forests, a modernized village of kind hearted souls offered support and hospitality to the ones who’d originally questioned the credibility of such possibilities.

 

“This one!” Luna held up a single yellow flower identical to the one Chanyeol had just received.

 

“It’s beautiful,” He replied as she eagerly ran up to him. He tenderly tucked a long strand of dark hair behind her familiarly prominent ear. He scooped her in his arms upon request, continuing softly with a simple, “Just like you.”

 

Word of the deadly virus had spread across the globe, extending its reaches towards the most inconspicuous of places. As he carried her back to their modest home just a short walk away, he contemplated the plausibility of her being the only one not affected by the virus. Oblivious of its existence and unconcerned with the scandal of gossip, Luna spent her days bringing light to anyone who needed it.

 

She could light up an entire room with her presence alone. Just like her mother.

 

Luna’s concern with the wellbeing of the two flowers was remedied only by her father carefully placing them in a small water filled jar. The new centerpiece for their kitchen table maintained an air of elegance and carried a subtle wave of beauty. One of the many intricacies that made their haven feel safe and secure.

 

Comforted by the affectionate caress of her father and reassured with every soft kiss received, Luna never suspected that the boundaries of security were finite and the feelings of safety were temporary. There was much more to the world that she wasn’t ready to discover or uncover. Until the day came when a father’s love couldn’t protect his inquisitive daughter, Chanyeol would continue to tuck her into bed every night and wish her the sweetest of dreams.

 

After Luna was safely tucked away for her mid afternoon nap, Chanyeol was left alone to find sufficient use for his downtime. The resulting absence of adult companionship constituted Jongin- Luna’s godfather/uncle and Chanyeol’s close friend- enjoying a relaxing weekend long mountain hike with Kyungsoo. Yixing, the one who’d led them to freedom when all seemed bleak, spent many of his days caring for the sick and injured at the local hospital.

 

Chanyeol eventually found himself completing household chores to pass the lingering time, his wandering thoughts focusing on those surrounding Minseok and Jongdae. The close friends had vacated the country several days ago, courageously returning to the one of nightmares and despair to search for any remaining survivors. 

 

Their recent journey to Korea uncharacteristically marked their 4th. Insistent upon by the one convinced that there were others left suffering from the same terrors and fighting the same demons. There was no certain way to determine how long their expedition would take or what discoveries they would uncover along the way. 

 

No means of calculating how much more time would have to pass before the hole in Chanyeol’s heart could be refilled.

 

Waking up to a familiar sweet voice, he decided, was the perfect opportunity for his heart to swell with love and affection all over again.

 

A soft pair of lips were on his own before he could even blink, a gentle tug found a warm body on top of his own.

 

“When did you get back?” Chanyeol murmured, still dazed from his own nap.

 

“A little while ago. You and Luna were both asleep so I didn’t want to wake you right away.”

 

Chanyeol swiped a cautious thumb across his soft cheek, wanting to reaffirm the authenticity of the moment. The smaller smiled his beautiful smile before chuckling.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Nothing.” Chanyeol responded, pulling him into a warm embrace. “I’m just glad you’re home, Baek.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Having just found a comfortable place in his husband’s arms once more, Baekhyun’s refusal to leave the embrace was evident. Chanyeol reciprocated his strong feelings, finding great pleasure in lounging on the couch with the love of his life.

 

“We found someone.” Baekhyun spoke of his recent expedition with his friends, intertwining his hand with Chanyeol’s.

 

“You did?” His eyes widened in shock. Up until that point, they’d always come back empty handed, their venture into dangerous territory proven futile.

 

Baekhyun nodded thoughtfully. “A young boy and his older brother. Sehun and Joonmyun.”

 

“Where are they now?”

 

“At the hospital. Sehun suffered a broken leg and Joonmyun had gotten sick. But…” Baekhyun looked away thoughtfully, prompting Chanyeol to gently squeeze his hand.

 

“But what?”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes glistened with a slew of unreadable emotions before responding, “I think the boy, Sehun, is like  _ me _ . Joonmyun told us he’d been bitten a couple days ago and the virus had rapidly spread. But just when he thought he was going to lose his little brother, the virus subsided into nothing.”

 

Chanyeol placed a kiss on Baekhyun’s forehead and held him closer in his embrace, wanting to offer any means of comfort he could. He knew that reliving the memories of two years past was just as painful for Baekhyun as it was for him. The fateful night wherein he was sure he’d lost his lover to the cruelty of the world; the same night Baekhyun had no control over his descent into darkness and felt the last wisps of his humanity vanishing into thin air.

 

For all involved, the memories evoked a great deal of sadness, subsequently marking a puzzling mystery that had yet to be solved; the autonomous revival of someone believed to have been lost and the unexpected defeat of an invincible foe.

 

“What does this mean?”

 

Baekhyun shook his head in disbelief. “The virus has only been identified in South Korea.”

 

Chanyeol nodded, remembering the first wave of useful information they received. They’d learned through various news outlets and word of mouth that the virus itself was known across the world. Under the pretense that the spread of the virus to other countries was near impossible without contact, South Korea had been left to fend for itself. 

 

Baekhyun continued with a thoughtful, “I have a strong feeling there are no more survivors left. Which means Sehun and I could be the only ones who are…”

 

“Immune.”

 

Baekhyun nodded wordlessly. The entire concept of immunity left a trail of confusion in its wake. He didn’t quite understand the implications nor the consequences of such elusive possibilities. 

 

“If the wrong people ever found out about us, we might-”

 

“Shh.” Chanyeol silenced his racing thoughts with a kiss. There was no guarantee the virus would remain contained in its country of origin. Nor was there assurance that an antidote wouldn’t be sought after. The roles Baekhyun and Sehun might play in the advancement of a safer world was beyond consideration.

 

“The most important thing is that you’re not going back there, right?”

 

Baekhyun smiled, relieved at the sudden diversion of conversational topics. “No. I think Min and Dae are tired of me taking advantage of their flying skills.”

 

Chanyeol chuckled, although he himself had been amazed at the technical development of their skills after their initial crash landing at the base of the Himalayas.

 

Before either could utter another word of reflection or rumination, the sound of tiny running feet brought them back to the present, the only conception of time that genuinely mattered.

 

“Mommy!”

 

Baekhyun’s arms were suddenly filled with their precious 2 year old daughter. He peppered her face with kisses, simultaneously promising her and Chanyeol that he was back home to stay. Things could finally return to their own version of normal, with Chanyeol making an honest living of constructing buildings and homes for people without the gift or ability to fortify original creations. And Baekhyun could enjoy the company of his family and friends without a care in the world.

 

For a silent moment, Chanyeol admired the way Luna seemed so content in her mother’s arms. She laid against him and sucked her thumb while he caressed her hair rhythmically and soothingly.

 

He spoke delicate words intended for her ears only, detailing how much he loved her and how much he missed her when they were apart. 

 

Baekhyun had spent more days away from his family than initially planned. But chasing after the inconceivable notion that there were more survivors in South Korea, ones who deserved a correspondent second chance, had been worth encountering an anomaly even more inexplicable.

 

Someone who existed on an identical transcendent plane. 

 

Maybe one day his miraculousness would precede his involvement in something world changing, a viable creation of an antidote and the subsequent protection of more than just his family.

 

Before he could make the decision to significantly aid in the progression of a worldwide evolution, he just wanted to enjoy his life as a loving spouse to Chanyeol and a caring parent to Luna. He could start by asking what important things he’d missed on the sporadic days he’d been away.

 

“Well,” Chanyeol wrapped a playful arm around both Baekhyun and Luna, reveling in an eagerly anticipated humorous moment, “Jongin  _ has _ been not so subtly hinting that he wants us to give him a nephew.”

 

Baekhyun chuckled before addressing their young daughter. “What do you think, honey? Do you want a little brother?”

 

She nodded with her thumb in her mouth, leaning more into Baekhyun’s embrace and playing with the soft material of his shirt. Her parents synchronously smiled, fairly certain she didn’t realize nor care of the extent to which she was actually agreeing to.

  
  


The discussion of additional family members epitomized the comfortable domesticity of their lives and the typical simplicity they’d fought to obtain. With the help of once kind hearted strangers who progressed into dear friends, they were able to create the type of peaceful life for themselves and their child that once only existed in their best dreams.

 

All that was left to do, as Baekhyun spent much of the day entertaining his daughter with colorful activities, as he kept Chanyeol company whilst the taller prepared dinner for his family, and as the beauty of the flower centerpiece caught his enraptured gaze, was to relish in the extraordinary magnificence of their creation.


End file.
